Pretoria – Retired judge Ian Farlam expressed concern on Wednesday about murders linked to the Marikana Commission of Inquiry.

Farlam sent the commission’s condolences following the murder of National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) branch chairperson William Setelele.

He was gunned down near the Marikana koppie, close to Lonmin’s platinum mine in the North West, last Thursday.

“It is a matter of concern because a number of people connected to this commission have been assassinated. It is a matter which I am sure is receiving attention from the authorities,” he said.

“My colleagues and I wish to extend our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of our former witness (Setelele). I hope the perpetrators will be brought to book in due course.”

Shot eight times

Karel Tip, for the NUM at the commission, also expressed his condolences. Setelele testified at the commission in January and February.

North West police said the Setelele was shot eight times.

“The man was gunned down on Thursday night between 19:00 and 20:00. He was on his way to visit his girlfriend when four men came out of the bushes and shot at his car,” said Brigadier Thulani Ngubane.

He was hit once when he was driving. When he stopped and got out of the car the men fired another seven bullets at him. He died on the scene.

Another NUM official, Daluvuyo Bongo, was killed in October last year.

At the time, Tip said NUM believed Bongo’s murder was a “target killing”.

Key evidence

The NUM branch secretary was shot six times at his home at the Wonderkop hostel complex in Marikana on 5 October. He was scheduled to testify at the commission’s public hearings.

At the time of Bongo’s death, NUM said he was set to present key information to the commission.

The inquiry, chaired by Farlam, is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related unrest at Lonmin platinum’s operations at Marikana, near Rustenburg, last year.

Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson SC was cross-examining Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Scott on Wednesday.

Scott helped draft the police plan which was to be used to try and disperse and disarm the striking mineworkers. The plan was referred to as the “Scott plan”.

– SAPA