South African union official calls for intervention in violence

A leading South African trade union official has called on police to stop the violence surrounding the recent strikes in the country's mines.

Zwelinzima Vavi said four staff members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had been murdered since the strikes in mines began in August.

He also claims that of 51 people killed - a figure that differs from the police total - 22 were NUM members.

Some of these victims were among the 34 miners shot and killed by police at the platinum mine at Marikana in the north of the country during a wildcat strike not backed by the union.

Since early August, South Africa has been hit by a series of wildcat strikes which started in Marikana before spreading to gold, chrome, diamond and coal mines.