"Australian mining company denies role in murder of South African activist" March 2016

An Australian-owned mining company has denied any link to the murder of an activist leading a campaign against its plans to mine titanium in South Africa...

Sikhosiphi “Bazooka” Rhadebe was gunned down at his home in Xolobeni on South Africa’s Wild Coast on Tuesday, in what fellow activists claimed was an escalation of violence and intimidation against local opponents of a mine owned by Perth-based Mineral Commodities Limited (MRC)...

MRC, which has repeatedly denied inciting violence involving its supporters, said it was “in no way implicated in any form whatsoever in this incident”...

Four people, including an alleged employee of another MRC mine at Tormin, are due to face court next month over alleged assault and intimidation, including with firearms, of mining opponents in Xolobeni in December...

MRC in a statement said it was “not in a position to comment with any authority on the incident” but any claims it was in any way implicated were “simply unfounded”...

“The company does not condone violence in any form and it is tragic that a man has lost his life regardless of the circumstances, which … are yet to be established...