South African miners charged

The 270 workers who were arrested at South Africa's Marikana mine have been charged with the murder of 34 of their colleagues who were shot by police.

Officials say the workers would be tried under the common purpose doctrine because they were in the crowd which confronted police on August 16.

They say the police have not been charged because a commission of inquiry is expected to investigate their actions.

It was the most deadly police action since South Africa became a democracy in 1994.