South African bishop warns of violence and intimidation amongst workers

(Vatican Radio) The Catholic Bishop of Rustenberg in South Africa is warning of an explosive situation on the mines and in other sectors of South African society as workers are pitted against each other and against the system against a backdrop of dire poverty and increasing violence.

The situation in Rustenberg, home to the Anglo American Platinum Mines, is volatile after Mine management sacked 15.000 striking miners who refused to return to the negotiating table.

These striking miners are now attacking and intimidating those who are at work.

Bishop Kevin Dowling told Vatican Radio's Linda Bordoni that the agreement reached last month at another Platinum Mine has compromised normal South African bargaining processes.

Listen to the interview…

Bishop Dowling says the unrest has spread to the transport section, there are illegal strikes all over the country, increasing violence and mayhem.

In a society in which 18 years of democracy has delivered too little to too many poor people who live below the poverty line, Bishop Dowling says the Church and faith groups have much to do.

He says that "our concern as Church after our political liberation, we have to acheive an economic transformation that truley gives hope to the poor and enables the people who are suffering most to live in dignity and with a quality of life which should be their's as people made in God's image".

Bishop Dowling says "all our Catholic Social Teaching principles are absolutely crucial to this whle debate and to where we want to go".

So - he says "We in the Church, we in the faith communities, really need to be part of this discussion going forward...".