South Africa: Miners arrested during protests will be charged with the murder of their 34 colleagues shot by police
The 270 workers would be tried under the "common purpose" doctrine because they were in the crowd which confronted police on 16 August, an official said. Police opened fire, killing 34 miners and sparking a national outcry. The decision to charge the workers was "madness", said former ruling ANC party youth leader Julius Malema.
"The policemen who killed those people are not in custody, not even one of them. This is madness," said Mr Malema, who was expelled from the ANC (African National Congress) earlier this year following a series of disagreements with President Jacob Zuma. "The whole world saw the policemen kill those people."
The killing of the 34 was the most deadly police action since South Africa became a democracy in 1994.
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