Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
Divorce, Maintenance, Personal Injury, Medical Negligence
The events at Marikana reverberated around the world. It is one thing to be living in South Africa and understand that some things make the world headlines, but it is another thing to actually be overseas and to flip from one channel to another and see that videos of your police opening fire on strikers are on the news all the time. It really does present a shocking image of a developing nation that is out of control at times and of an extremely violent and aggressive society.
It is not the kind of headlines and images that would make anybody want to invest in South Africa because no matter who is to blame, it is a sign of a very poorly functioning society. On the one hand there are workers living in terrible conditions who are making, perhaps under the guidance of Unions, the most ridiculous demands for salary increases and on the other hand you have a situation that must have been mishandled by the police. I am not saying that somebody cannot open fire when their life is under threat, but when you have volatile situation like that, better preparation would include far more police on the scene and if necessary, the use of barbed wire, water canons and all the other tactics that South Africa has so much expertise in from the apartheid years in particular.
You cannot send a small little force of police to go and guard against thousands of strikers, many of whom appear in the video footage to have been extremely aggressive and brandishing weapons. The very fact that 34 people died and apparently 400 rounds of ammunition had to be fired tells you that the situation was totally out of control and that there has to have been, to a greater or lesser extent, an overreaction by the police on the ground and whether that overreaction is their fault, or the fault of others who sent them there in too small numbers and badly prepared, is something that the investigation needs to reveal.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Tuesday 28-Aug-12
Post a Comment
Comments
Kaylene said:
on Friday 31-Aug-12 06:02 PM
This was really a traggic situation, and to make it headlines over the world is a terrible thing. Our Police is totally out of control, even whenyou need them for serious things in the community they are never available beacuse they always seem to run out on a call when the husband and wife had a fight, so that they can arrest the man and console the woman. I have very little respect for our Police
Catherine said:
on Friday 31-Aug-12 09:52 AM
This is a horrific tragedy. The miners had already killed two police men and also some of the miners that had declined to participate in the march.The manner in which they had been killed was totally brutal. The police tried to control the situation with water cannons and tear gas with no success. They were left with no choice but to defend themselves.
South Africa with the history of Arpartheid should be better equipped to handle such situation from occuring.
thembi said:
on Thursday 30-Aug-12 05:31 PM
This was a very shocking sight.They are saying a striker started firing at the police first and the police fired back to protect themselves.Was they no other way to control them.The police are taught every thing during training and they should have handled the situation in a better way.What they did was very brutally .
Liesl said:
on Wednesday 29-Aug-12 08:19 AM
These police felt threatened and they had reason to. If I was there I would have opened fire aswell. The mob was bloodthirsty and they didn't mind proving it to everybody, now they get to be the victims.
Sarah said:
on Tuesday 28-Aug-12 05:31 PM
Well everyone says they police is useless, but when they finally start taking control, everyone says they in the wrong and out of control.
We have a right to self dense , the fact that police is being held responsible for protectingf themselfs is horrible now the crinimals will get a way with much more
Thabitha said:
on Tuesday 28-Aug-12 03:38 PM
When the strikers killed the security and police they were trying to send the message.
The guy who was wearing the green blanket said "we are not going anywhere until they kill us" the last time he spoke to media that too they tried to send the message.
It is sad to their loved once but again it is not fair for those police what was going to happend to them if they didn't shoot them, we are talking about thousands of strikers here.
Yes it is bad for our country or our image
Robyn said:
on Tuesday 28-Aug-12 02:11 PM
I agree with all that is said here. You have to however take into consideration that our police forces are not trained properly. I spoke to a man the other day that used to be in the army and he said for example they would all line up, all of them armed and ready to fire. They would give the strikers chance and tell them if they come to say 50ft, they die. Then they will shoot that one person that's closest for example. No one knows who fired the shot, because the whole force has their guns up. And so by killing maybe two or three this way, the situation could have been handled properly.
But then again, on the other hands, none of us were there and if someone had to charge at me guns blazing, I would also shoot them dead. No doubt.
Cherise said:
on Tuesday 28-Aug-12 12:31 PM
I must say that this was an absolute shock to me when I first saw the tragedy on morning life. it is really an unfortunate event that had to take place. at first I was on the police's side as they tried to protect their lifes from being ended in an absolutely brutal way. yet when one really considers the conditions these men live in on the shaft , the working conditions that many of us cannot even imagine sitting in our aircone offices it is unfair. That one of the highest risk jobs are paid the lowest salary ever , which would not be the case if it where any other high risk job. no man would leave his family behind to sleep on bunks with other men. they would have a house on the site (example sasol workers) with their familys re-located. these people have been treated unfairly for many years. It is so sad they have had to die for their jobs. I suppose it is just one of those matters south needs to really make some huge changes on.
Simone said:
on Tuesday 28-Aug-12 10:09 AM
This story has shocked so many people. The problem is that before this all took place the strikers had killed police men by hitting them with pangas. I saw the images and it was horrific. We really should have better control over things like this that happens.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!