Ousted SAfrica leader blames gov't for mine deaths

JOHANNESBURG -- Expelled politician Julius Malema blames senior members of the governing African National Congress for police killing 34 striking miners this week, and says South African police had no right to fire live ammunition at the men.

The youth leader, who was expelled from the ANC earlier this year, was welcomed as a hero on Saturday by thousands of strikers. He is the first politician to address them at the site and says he has come because the government has turned its back on them.

Strikers complained that President Jacob Zuma had not come to them when he flew to the area Friday and visited hospitalized miners who were wounded in Thursday's shootings.

Malema claimed senior ANC members had ignored the escalating situation over miners' demands for higher salaries because they had shares in the affected Lonmin platinum mine.