Pretoria – A police captain told the Claassen inquiry into suspended police chief Riah Phiyega’s fitness for office on Wednesday that orders to embark on a tactical operation to move in on protesting Marikana miners, which left 34 people dead, came from “national management”.

“At about 14:30 (on August 16 2012), I received a message from Brigadier Calitz that all commanders must report at forward holding area 1. We were briefed by Lt-General Scott in the presence of Brigadier Pretorius,” said Captain Monwabisi Joseph Ntlati who was commanding the specialised Tactical Response Team police unit.

“During the briefing, we were informed that the national management instructed that the police must act against the armed strikers as they have to be disarmed and dispersed. The POP (public order police) members were to disperse the strikers and the TRT (Tactical Response Team) will encircle small groups and disarm them.”

For more http://www.iol.co.za