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| Marikana mine strike: South Africa to drop murder charges | Marikana mine strike: South Africa to drop murder charges |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| South African prosecutors have provisionally dropped murder charges against 270 miners whose colleagues were shot dead by police. | South African prosecutors have provisionally dropped murder charges against 270 miners whose colleagues were shot dead by police. |
| The charges cannot be dismissed formally until the end of the inquiry, but prosecutors said all detained miners would be freed. | The charges cannot be dismissed formally until the end of the inquiry, but prosecutors said all detained miners would be freed. |
| Local authorities used a controversial apartheid-era law to accuse the miners of provoking police to open fire. | Local authorities used a controversial apartheid-era law to accuse the miners of provoking police to open fire. |
| Miners were demanding a huge pay rise and recognition of a new union. | |
| The killings, at the Marikana mine, owned by Lonmin, shocked the nation. | |
| State prosecutors charged 270 miners with murder under the "common purpose" doctrine. | State prosecutors charged 270 miners with murder under the "common purpose" doctrine. |
| The rule was used by the white-minority apartheid regime to crack down on its black opponents, and at the time was opposed by the now governing African National Congress. | The rule was used by the white-minority apartheid regime to crack down on its black opponents, and at the time was opposed by the now governing African National Congress. |
| 'Machete threats' | |
| Lawyers had asked President Jacob Zuma to reverse the decision. | Lawyers had asked President Jacob Zuma to reverse the decision. |
| But he said in a statement earlier that he would not intervene in the case. | But he said in a statement earlier that he would not intervene in the case. |
| But acting national director of prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba held a news conference on Sunday to announce the charges would be scrapped. | |
| "Final charges will only be made once all investigations have been completed," she said. | "Final charges will only be made once all investigations have been completed," she said. |
| "The murder charges against the current 270 suspects will be formally withdrawn provisionally in court." | "The murder charges against the current 270 suspects will be formally withdrawn provisionally in court." |
| Police said they opened fire on the strikers at Marikana after being threatened by a crowd of protesters who advanced towards them, armed with machetes. | |
| The 270 miners, six of whom remain in hospital, were arrested during the protests. | |
| They were charged on Thursday, with the prosecutors arguing they were part of the crowd whose actions provoked the police into opening fire. | |
| No police officers have been charged over the deaths because a judicial inquiry and an internal police review are under way, but these are expected to take several months to complete. | |
| The strike turned violent before the police shooting, with the deaths of 10 people including two police officers and two security guards who were hacked to death. | |
| The protests were triggered by demands for a huge pay rise and recognition of a new union. | |
| Talks are continuing to resolve the dispute, which has shut the mine for the past three weeks. |