hill near Nkaneng, at least 34 people were killed at Marikana, 78 were injured and 259 were arrested. The miners were carrying machetes and had refused a request to disarm. According to the Congress of South African Trade Unions, police had first used tear gas, water cannons and then used "live ammunition". The killings have been labelled a massacre throughout the media with police, Lonmin and NUM itself being blamed. Revelations on the incident starting with academic investigations and then followed up by reporting by Greg Marinovich has shown that most of the killings happened off camera many minutes after some of the murders were recorded on television. According to the New York Times, "Frans Baleni, general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, defended the police in an interview with Kaya FM, a radio station" saying that "The police were patient, but these people were extremely armed with dangerous weapons." The shooting was one of the worst by the South African authorities since the end of the apartheid era in South Africa. Baleni and other NUM officials have also accused 'third forces' of being behind the Marikana strikes. Loss of support It has been argued that there has been an exodus from NUM. According to Justice Malala, writing in The Guardian, "The NUM has lost all credibility and is bleeding members. Its already well-paid secretary, Baleni, was awarded a salary increase of more than 40% last year and his total salary package is just more than R105 000 a month. NUM leaders have refused to get out of police armoured vehicles to address workers." Others have also argued that NUM's membership numbers are inflated and, now, as a result of the strikes in the North West, its membership likely stands at around 150,000. Others praised the organisation. An editorial in Business Day said "The NUM is the thoughtful, considered heart of the union movement here... It appreciates and values private capital and strong companies." The rival union the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has increased in membership since the Marikana shootings and now represents over 40% of employees at Amplats and 70% at Lonmin. Leadership General Secretaries 1982: Cyril Ramaphosa 1991: Kgalema Motlanthe 1998: Gwede Mantashe 2006: Frans Baleni 2015: David Sipunzi 2022: William Mabapa Presidents 1982: James Motlatsi 2000: Senzeni Zokwana 2014: Piet Matosa 2018: Joseph Montisetse 2022: Daniel Balepile Further reading References External links NUM