wachimba madini wa south wakisanua

Thousands of armed striking miners faced off with South African police at Lonmin's Marikana mine after it halted production following the deaths of 10 people in fighting between rival unions.
Scores of police backed by helicopters lined up on Wednesday opposite a crowd of around 2,500 miners armed with machetes, clubs and other weapons, who had taken up position on a rocky outcrop overlooking the mine.
"The situation is stable but tense. We are busy with negotiations and are maintaining a high visibility in the area," Dennis Adrio, the national police spokesman, said.
Lonmin secured a court order compelling the miners to return to work on Wednesday, with permission to dismiss them if they fail to do so.
"If we believe that this criminal activity is still continuing and that rock drill operators are still on this illegal strike we will have no option but to issue the ultimatum," Barnard Mokwena, the company's executive vice president, said.