Rustenburg-Police on Saturday fired rubber bullets at protesters and seized weapons from hostels at platinum giant Lonmin in an operation to quell unrest in the mining sector.

Soldiers were also deployed as back-up in the troubled Rustenburg platinum belt where militant protests have forced several mine closures since police gunned down 34 people last month at Lonmin’s Marikana mine.

The troops had been sent in to Marikana at the request of the police, said Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga. But the police were leading the operation, he added.

Forces moved into Marikana less than 24 hours after the government announced a security clampdown. The unrest has forced three leading producers to halt mining operations on the world’s richest platinum deposits.

The striking miners said there would be a “peaceful march” on Sunday, heading towards the police headquarters in Rustenburg.

“Everyone will be here. No vandalising, maybe sticks but no iron. It will be a peaceful march, But I can’t guarantee there won’t be rubber bullets,” said one of the strike leaders, who called himself Gadaffi.

Sunday will mark a month since the 34 miners were killed on August 16.

Five hundred police officers, assisted by the army, raided hostels at Lonmin’s mine at 2am on Saturday, seizing piles of metal rods, machetes and sticks.

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