Marikana cops amateurs:
Vermaak
March 24 2014 at 06:26pm
ByJonisayiMaromo
ByJonisayiMaromo
INLSA
Honourable
Judge Ian Gordon Farlam during the public hearing of the Marikana Commission of
Enquiry to investigate the Marikana tragedy. File picture: DumisaniSibeko
Pretoria -
Police officers assigned to manage the 2012 labour unrest at Marikana, North
West, lacked critical experience, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on
Monday.
North West Air
Wing Commander Salmon Vermaak broke ranks with his employer when he testified
at the inquiry's public hearings in Centurion, south of Pretoria.
“I have raised
my concern with the manner in which this protest was handled. It could not be
done in the ordinary manner like a service delivery protest.
“It was clear
to me that there wasn't much experience. The protests you get in the mines are
more violent than the ordinary protests. They fight to their deaths,” said
Vermaak.
He said it was
known in the SA Police Service (SAPS) that the protesters had carried out
certain rituals with sangomas and the miners believed that they were invincible
before the August 16, 2012 fatal confrontation.
“These people
(protesters) were fearless. In the past it was believed that police or security
officers' bullets would turn into water. The fact that they had advanced on
police made it clear that they believed they had sangomas' protection.”
Vermaak said
armoured vehicles should have been used to protect police officers.
In the days
leading up to August 16, he said he had cautioned Brigadier Adriaan Calitz,
head of North West provincial operational response services, that “a much more
careful approach was needed” in dealing with the armed miners.
“He only sent
me a message (saying) 'thank you', that's all,” said Vermaak.
He said
experience taught him that protesting miners wrapped blankets around their
bodies and that effected on the police intervention of firing rubber bullets.
The rubber
rounds would have lesser effect on a person wrapped in a blanket.
Among other
suggestions to his superiors, Vermaak said judging from previous bloody
interactions between the miners and police, it was clear that the protesters
would defy when asked to vacate the koppie.
He warned them
beforehand that another tactic should be used.
“I warned them
that the people would not surrender. From the beginning I suggested that from
my experience, we should remove traditional weapons. We start from the
hostels,” said Vermaak.
“This was
disapproved. It was said there was no specific information which justifies the
search of the hostels.”
He said that he
also advised his seniors that it would be better for the police officers to
occupy the koppies at night, before the numbers of protesters swelled at
daybreak.
“This again was
not accepted,” said Vermaak.
On August 16,
2012, police shot and killed 34, mostly protesting miners, at Lonmin's platinum
mining operations at Marikana, near Rustenburg in North West. At least 78
miners were also wounded when police fired on the group gathered at a hill near
the mine while trying to disarm and disperse them.
In the
preceding week, 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards,
were killed in the strike-related violence.
The commission
led by retired judge Ian Farlam is probing the 44 deaths.
Unlike all
other police officers who have testified at the inquiry, Vermaak is being led
in giving his testimony by evidence leaders.
Other police
officers have been led by SAPS lawyers at the commission.
Vermaak will be
cross-examined by the police lawyers.
In January,
evidence submitted to the inquiry showed that Vermaak lashed out, criticising
the police's handling of the Marikana strike.
Vermaak wrote a
memo to provincial commissioner ZukiswaMbombo outlining numerous flaws in the
police intervention management of the strike.
The
correspondence titled “Unrest: Marikana and Rustenburg: 2012”, was also copied
to Calitz.
On the Marikana
intervention, Vermaak made a long list of “shortcomings” by the police.
Sapa
