This report focuses on a part of the Marikana massacre, an incident on Thursday 16 August 2012
in which 34 striking mineworkers were killed by members of the South African Police Service. It
relies on information made available in the public domain as a result of the Marikana Commission
process. The report aims to deepen understanding of the events at Scene 2 and to contribute
towards developing an explanation for the killings that took place there. This report focuses on a part of the Marikana massacre, an incident on Thursday 16 August 2012 in which 34 men, most of them striking mineworkers, were killed by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The killings on that day took place at two different locations, about 500m apart, now often referred to as (crime) Scene 1 and Scene 2. At each location, 17 people were fatally injured by gunfire from members of the SAPS. This report focuses on describing and understanding the events at Scene 2. It relies on information made available in the public domain as a result of the Marikana Commission process. The events at Scene 1 will also be discussed, but only to establish the circumstances/context in which the events at Scene 2 took place. No integrated narrative account of the events at Scene 2 has appeared in the public domain. The report aims to deepen understanding of the events at Scene 2 and to contribute towards developing an explanation for the killings that took place there.
