Nine South African miners were injured yesterda when Anglo American Platinum guards opened fire with rubber bullets on clashing rival unions at the company's Rustenburg site.
The guards opened fire following what police claim were violent confrontations between rival trade unions at the Siphumelele mine near Rustenburg in the north of the country.
Amplats said in a statement that the violence started when four National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) shop stewards returned to work after being on special leave.
Members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union apparently complained to management and demanded that the four workers were sent home.
Mine security intervened when a group of about 100 people attacked the NUM shop stewards at the union offices and, in the process, 13 mineworkers, including four security guards, were injured.
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