Striking SA miners back to work

Two people have died after clashes between police and striking miners in South Africa, including a local councillor who was apparently an innocent bystander, according to the Associated Press.

Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to break up a march by thousands of strikers at the Amplats mines near Rustenburg, belonging to Anglo American Platinum, the world's largest platinum producer.

Amplats strike leader Evans Ramokga said a miner was run over by a police armoured car and dragged several yards before it stopped. He said the man died overnight in hospital. The latest deaths bring the death toll to 47.

A governing party councillor shot by police firing rubber bullets at the scene of a mine strike has died, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) have told the Associated Press.

It said African National Congress councillor Paulina Masuhlo was shopping on Saturday near the Never Die Tavern at the miners' shantytown of Lonmin platinum mine when police firing from a speeding armoured car hit her and other women.

Cosatu have said that Ms Masuhlo died in hospital yesterday after being shot during the violence.

South African miners returned to work at Marikana platinum mine today after a bloody six-week strike came to an end with the company reaching a deal.

The Marikana platinum complex was the scene of violent protests in which 44 people died. Some 15,000 miners at Gold Fields' Dreifontein Gold Mine remain on strike.

Lonmin workers have celebrated after their employer agreed to pay them up 22% more, following weeks of industrial action.

Many South African miners returned to work today, however protests continued throughout other regions.

The standoff at a South African mine run by platinum producer Amplats has seen police clash with a crowd of men carrying traditional weapons such as spears and machetes.

A police spokesman said tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets were fired to disperse an "illegal gathering" at the mine outside the city of Rustenburg.

It remained unclear whether anyone was injured in the exchange.

The action was understood to have been inspired by the brokering of a new wage deal at a Lonmin mine in Marikana.

South African police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets today to disperse protesters near a mine run by platinum producer, Amplats.

It's the first sign of unrest spreading after strikers at smaller rival mine, Lonmin won big pay rises. A police spokesman said, "We are not tolerating any illegal activity."

Within hours of Lonmin agreeing to a pay increase of 11 to 22%, workers at neighbouring mines were calling for similar hikes, suggesting more trouble is to come after six weeks of industrial action that has claimed 45 lives and threatened Africa's biggest economy.

Amplats had to suspend its Rustenburg operations last week because of the unrest. Those mines restarted on Tuesday but the company admitted many workers had stayed away.

Striking platinum miners in South Africa have signed a new wage deal to end a five-week strike at Lonmin mine in Marikana.

Lonmin workers cheered as they learned they will finally return to work on Thursday at the platinum mine in Marikana, which is 60 miles northwest of Johannesburg, with a 22% payrise after six weeks of strikes, Reuters has reported.

World No. 1 platinum producer Anglo American Platinum said it, too, had resumed its operations in the strike-hit Rustenburg area.

South African President Jacob Zuma has estimated that the country's labour unrest has cost the industry 4.5 billion rand (£295 billion).

A bloody six-week strike at the platinum Lonmin mine in South Africa will come to an end on Thursday after workers negotiated a 22% pay rise.

The action at Marikana turned violent last month when 34 miners were shot dead by police in a single incident. A total of 45 people died in the unrest.

Police have been firing rubber bullets and tear gas in an attempt to herd striking miners into their shacks.

The show of force followed a government vow to halt illegal protests and disarm the strikers who have stopped work at precious metal mines, destabilising the country's critical mining sector.

Six women were hit by rubber bullets and one had to be taken to hospital, Anglican bishop Jo Seoka, president of the Council of Churches, warned of serious repercussions and said he was holding the government and Lonmin mine officials responsible describing it as an 'aparteid-era crackdown.'