Rustenburg -
About 16 cartridge cases were discovered where two civilians were found murdered in Donkerhoek, Marikana, in August, the Farlam commission heard on Tuesday.
“One civilian body was found near an informal house,” crime scene technician Captain Moses Moshwane said.
“The other civilian body was across the stream.”
Moshwane was giving evidence to the commission, chaired by retired judge Ian Farlam.
The commission is holding public hearings in Rustenburg, North West, as part of its inquiry into the August 16 shooting at Marikana that left 34 miners dead and 78 wounded.
The preceding week saw 10 other people, including two policemen and two security guards, killed in protest violence in the area.
Moshwane said on Tuesday he attended and processed the crime scene on August 13. A R5 cartridge case was also found, he said.
Tim Bruinders, for the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, asked Moshwane if he was involved with the crime scenes where miners were killed on August 16.
“Only at scene one (where 16 people were killed near a kraal) on August 16... I was assisting with the collecting of exhibits and measurements,” said Moshwane.
He said he arrived at the scene at 9.47pm.
A second crime scene technician, Warrant Officer Frederick Opperman, processed the area where two Lonmin security guards were murdered on August 12.
Opperman told the commission when he arrived at the scene, two bodies, two motor vehicles and ammunition cartridges were pointed out to him.
Lawyer for the families of the security guards, Tshepiso Rampil, asked Opperman to describe what the bodies looked like.
“One of the bodies was still half in the vehicle. That body was badly burnt. There was a hack mark on the head of the body,” he said.
“The second body... there were burn marks on the chest and the trousers were also burnt. He had wounds on his face.”
Opperman said the cars of the security guards were so badly burnt police could not immediately determine the make. - Sapa