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South Africa Miners Mark Grim Anniversary

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Mine workers sit on a hill where a year ago, police opened fire on fellow workers killing 34 and injuring 78, during a memorial service near the Marikana, South Africa, platinum mine, Friday Aug. 16, 2013. (Themba Hadebe/AP)
Mine workers sit on a hill where a year ago, police opened fire on fellow workers killing 34 and injuring 78, during a memorial service near the Marikana, South Africa, platinum mine, Friday Aug. 16, 2013. (Themba Hadebe/AP)

It was one year ago today that 34 miners were shot dead by police in the South African town of Marikana in a dispute over wages.

Mining unions say there has been little improvement since then.

South Africa's economy has long been driven by mining, but production has dropped over the decades.

The BBC's Mark Lowen has been given rare access into a gold mine to see what conditions are like and to follow the mining process.

Reporter

  • Mark Lowen, Athens correpondent for the BBC, who is currently in South Africa. He tweets @marklowen

This segment aired on August 16, 2013.

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