Situation remains calm at platinum mine

JOHANNESBURG - The situation on the ground at the Lonmin Marikana Platinum Mine remains calm as around 33 percent of the company's 28,000-strong workforce reported for work, the company said on Tuesday.

The South African government, Lonmin and the unions all agreed the best way to start to rebuild trust is to return to something closer to normality, the company said in a statement.

"We are working alongside the unions as they also want their members to report for work. Given the traumatic events of the last 10 days this is a delicate process and it will take time for people to come to terms with has happened," the statement said.

Violence linked with rivalry between factional unions claimed 10 lives in the week leading to Thursday's clashes with police, in which 34 miners were killed and 78 others injured.  

The company said it will respect the week of mourning, as declared by the President Jacob Zuma. The mourning period, which started on Monday, will cultimate on Thursday with a national memorial service.

"The company respects and supports this event as an important milestone on the road to rebuilding trust and returning to normality," said the statement.

The world's third largest platinum producer had threatened to dismiss the striking miners if they did not return to work by 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday but later withdrew the ultimatum.

Also on Tuesday, Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane said all the 34 miners killed by police last week have been identified.

"All the bodies have been identified. One is a foreign national, " he said.

One worker from neighboring Lesotho was killed in the incident and the South African government was contacting the Lesotho authorities for his burial, Chabane said.