Rustenburg: South African riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon yesterday at hundreds of striking miners who went on the rampage at Impala Platinum's Rustenburg plant, the world's single biggest platinum mine.
At least 50 officers, backed by armoured vehicles and two helicopters, moved into a shanty town near the mine after the miners torched homes in a dramatic escalation of a month-long strike that has hit the company and global platinum prices.
Police said one man had been killed overnight after a mob stripped him naked and beat him during a demonstration outside the plant, which accounts for as much as 15 per cent of world platinum output.
Up to 5,000 miners blocked the road leading to the plant, which lies 120 km north-west of Johannesburg, and hurled stones at police, provincial police spokeswoman Adele Myburg said.
"This morning they regrouped, started intimidating people who wanted to go to the mine. There were people assaulted, vehicles were stoned," she said, adding that one female police officer had been injured by flying stones.
Production at Rustenburg, which accounts for 60 per cent of Implat's output, came to a halt a month ago after the company sacked 17,000 employees following a January 12 wildcat strike over bonuses.
