A police officer who was among commanders "given national management's instruction to act" gave evidence at retired judge Neels Claassen's board of inquiry.
The board is probing suspended national police commissioner Riah Phiyega's fitness to hold office and allegations of misconduct.
Yesterday, Captain Monwabisi Ntlati, the first witness to take the stand, said he was working in the tactical response team (TRT) at the time and was deployed to Marikana in August 2012.
He was present when dozens of miners were gunned down by police on August 16.
In his statement, Ntlati said on the fateful day when 34 miners were shot dead and dozens others injured, there had been a briefing earlier where the special task force's Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Scott gave them an "instruction from national management".
He said he arrived at about 7.30am with other commanders and they had stayed inside their vehicles to allow the negotiators to engage with leaders of the strike who were at the koppie.
"The group of strikers were about 3000 and armed with dangerous weapons. At about 2.30pm, I received a message from Brigadier Adriaan Calitz that all commanders must report at forward holding area one.
"We were briefed by Scott in the presence of Brigadier Suzette Pretorius. We were informed that national management had instructed that the police must act against the armed strikers as they had to be disarmed and dispersed.
"The POP (public order policing) members were to disperse the strikers and the TRT would encircle small groups and disarm them," Ntlati said.
Evidence leaders head Ismail Jamie, SC, then read out Scott's transcribed evidence at the Farlam Commission of inquiry into the Marikana massacre.
He said Scott did not deny he had briefed the commanders about a "tactical option".
Jamie asked what Ntlati understood by "national management". Ntlati replied: "I understood it to mean that all police management were giving the instruction. It would be generals or national and divisional commissioners."
Phiyega's defence is expected to cross-examine Ntlati today.
'We were told, disarm striking Marikana miners'
A police officer who was among commanders "given national management's instruction to act" gave evidence at retired judge Neels Claassen's board of inquiry.
The board is probing suspended national police commissioner Riah Phiyega's fitness to hold office and allegations of misconduct.
Yesterday, Captain Monwabisi Ntlati, the first witness to take the stand, said he was working in the tactical response team (TRT) at the time and was deployed to Marikana in August 2012.
He was present when dozens of miners were gunned down by police on August 16.
In his statement, Ntlati said on the fateful day when 34 miners were shot dead and dozens others injured, there had been a briefing earlier where the special task force's Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Scott gave them an "instruction from national management".
He said he arrived at about 7.30am with other commanders and they had stayed inside their vehicles to allow the negotiators to engage with leaders of the strike who were at the koppie.
"The group of strikers were about 3000 and armed with dangerous weapons. At about 2.30pm, I received a message from Brigadier Adriaan Calitz that all commanders must report at forward holding area one.
"We were briefed by Scott in the presence of Brigadier Suzette Pretorius. We were informed that national management had instructed that the police must act against the armed strikers as they had to be disarmed and dispersed.
"The POP (public order policing) members were to disperse the strikers and the TRT would encircle small groups and disarm them," Ntlati said.
Evidence leaders head Ismail Jamie, SC, then read out Scott's transcribed evidence at the Farlam Commission of inquiry into the Marikana massacre.
He said Scott did not deny he had briefed the commanders about a "tactical option".
Jamie asked what Ntlati understood by "national management". Ntlati replied: "I understood it to mean that all police management were giving the instruction. It would be generals or national and divisional commissioners."
Phiyega's defence is expected to cross-examine Ntlati today.
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