Johannesburg - Lawyers representing miners arrested and injured during last year's unrest in Marikana are hoping that a potential sponsor will agree to giving them long-term funding.
Dali Mpofu, for the miners, told the Farlam Commission of Inquiry that if the funding came through, they would need to discuss issues on whether the cash injection would be long term or temporary.
“The final decision of the possible donor will be made by tomorrow (Tuesday) and I will know at the end of business on whether the answer is yay or nay,” said commission chairman, retired judge Ian Farlam.
Mpofu's team is in need of funding after the Constitutional Court dismissed their application to have the State fund them.
This was Mpofu's second attempt at getting funding through the courts.
The High Court in Pretoria dismissed his application several weeks ago.
Mpofu's team indicated they would now return to the High Court in Pretoria to argue their initial application.
Mpofu and his clients have provisionally withdrawn from the commission, pending the issue of funding.
Several other legal teams have withdrawn in support of the miners.
The commission is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related unrest at Lonmin Platinum's mining operations in Marikana, North West, last year.
Thirty-four striking mine workers were killed in Marikana on August 16, 2012, when police fired on them.
Ten people, including two police officers, were killed in the preceding week.
After several weeks of disruptions, the public hearings into the matter continued on Monday after Mpofu excused himself.
North West deputy police commissioner General William Mpembe was cross-examined by Takalani Masevhe, for the family of slain Warrant Officer Tsietsi Monene.
Monene was one of two police officers killed by mineworkers on August 13 as police escorted them to a hill at Lonmin's platinum mine where other striking workers had gathered.
Mpembe said he saw around five armed miners attack Monene.
He told the commission he did not order other officers to shoot at Monene's attackers when he saw the incident unfold.
“It's not an easy instruction to say fire,” said Mpembe. “Each member knows to defend themselves when under attack... In such circumstances, members can use their own discretion.”
Mpembe said he believed the striking mineworkers had intended to attack the police as they had refused to hand over their weapons when he asked them to.
The miners said they needed the weapons to protect themselves against members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) but NUM members were not present when Monene and another officer were killed, Mpembe told the commission.
The unrest at Lonmin was attributed to several factors, including wage negotiations and union rivalry between NUM and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union.
The inquiry continues.
Sapa