A Rustenburg police officer testifying in the murder trial of former North West deputy police commissioner Major General William Mpembe and five other officers did not mince his words when he told the court on Wednesday that the situation at the Lonmin K3 shaft in Marikana in August 2012 was provoked by police firing tear gas at the miners.

Mpembe is in the dock with his former colleagues, retired Colonel Salmon Vermaak, Constable Nkosana Mguye, and Warrant Officers Collin Mogale, Joseph Sekgwetla and Khazamola Makhubela.

The six police officers are facing murder and attempted murder charges following the tragic events at the mine on 13 August 2012, three days before the infamous Marikana massacre of the 16th.

Lieutenant Colonel Omphile Joseph Merafe detailed his version of the events which resulted in five people being killed after police and striking mineworkers clashed.

He took the witness stand in the North West High Court in Mahikeng before Judge Tebogo Djaje on Tuesday.

The officer testified earlier that live ammunition was fired at the mineworkers who attacked a police officer after the chaos erupted.

Merafe was the commander of the Rustenburg Public Order Policing unit (POP) and told the court he was very experienced in crowd management.

On Wednesday, he testified that the situation at the mine was triggered by police firing tear gas at miners who posed no threat at that time.

The court heard that emotions flared up when police fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at workers who were on their way to the "koppie" (hill).

The miners started to attack police officers, resulting in live rounds being fired by police at the scene.

Mineworkers Semi Jokanisi, Phumzile Sokhanyile and Thembelakhe Mati, and police officers Hendrick Monene and Sello Lepaaku died.

Merafe testified that he was supposed to be the operational commander, as a senior POP member on the day, but because his senior, Mpembe, instructed him to step back, he did as he was told.

Mpembe moved to take the lead by negotiating with the miners.

Merafe testified that after chaos ensued in an open field, the miners started attacking officers in "pairs".

They allegedly used a panga to "chop" Lepaaku.

R5 RIFLE AND LIVE AMMUNITION
Led by senior prosecutor advocate Kenneth Mashile, Merafe gave evidence that Lepaaku was stabbed in the knees. He described that the officer was "butchered".

He had to rush him to a nearby health facility before the officer was declared dead.

Merafe said: "Members who were on the flank having R5 rifles shot at these people that [were] attacking this member with their live rounds now because the situation was already out of control."

Merafe said the miners also disarmed Lepaaku of his R5 rifle before running toward a nearby informal settlement.

He added that a chopper flew over the area as the chaos erupted and later landed.

The Lieutenant Colonel also testified that Vermaak, attached to the airwing, instructed other officers to find the workers who had taken the rifle. Tactical Response Team members were among those who went in search of them.

Merafe also testified that after dropping Lepaaku off at the clinic, he took the protective gear and a pistol from the injured officer.

"The other thing I did not find from him because, if I remember very well, the member was in possession of an R5 rifle. That R5 was loaded with two magazines [bound] to [it]. So the firearm [went missing] with the magazine," the officer testified.

USING FORCE
The court heard that police officers were busy retreating after tear gas and stun grenade were fired, but that Lepaaku tripped and fell, and the miners went for him.

According to Merafe, there was no threat before tear gas was fired at the miners.

"At that stage, the group was just walking toward the informal settlement."

Asked whether there was any need for police to use tear gas, Merafe replied: "It was not necessary to [have] thrown the tear gas at that stage. It was not necessary to use force because by then, the people were not fighting. They were just walking. And throwing tear gas at these people, they thought now these people (police) are fighting us."

He said the chaos was triggered by the use of tear gas. The witness said he could "safely" say that no force should have been used on the miners at that time, and no stun grenades were supposed to have been used.

"Because stun grenade is used as a surprise element. So we were not supposed to use [it] because these people we allowed to walk, they trusted us as the police," Merafe said.

The trial continues.