Thousands of platinum miners at the world's second-largest producer in South Africa have downed tools over a pay dispute, union and mine officials said Wednesday. "There has been a complete shutdown in Rustenburg. The only people at work are at the refineries," said National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka. At least 13,000 workers at Impala Platinum went ...

Former miner Oleseng Mokoena has broken 15 plates and a dozen wine glasses since becoming a waiter a month ago. His boss likens him to a bull in a china shop when he is in the kitchen. Mokoena is one of the hundreds of retrenched miners in South Africa's platinum mining town of Rustenburg who have sought employment in ...