South African Miners Shot by Police

A platinum wedding ring. PHOTO: Flickr/Stark23X

On August 21, police in South Africa shot and killed 44 platinum mine workers who protested for better wages. Platinum is a natural mineral used in jewelry and in catalytic converters for cars. Eighty percent of the world’s platinum supply is in South Africa. Forty percent of South African workers live on less than $3 a day.