Community members protest at Amplats mine in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Security personnel at Anglo American Platinum (Amplats)'s Mogalakwena mine in South Africa on Wednesday dispersed protesting community members who were destroying mine property, the company said. The demonstrators were demanding that the company, the world's top platinum producer, give them permanent employment. Amplats spokeswoman Mpumi Sithole told Reuters operations at the mine had not been affected by the protest and the company had called in the police to help restore order. The incident came days after Amplats workers at another mine, Dishaba, staged an underground sit-in to protest the suspension of a union leader. Sithole said five trucks had been damaged by the protesters at the Mogalakwena mine. "Our security personnel had to fire warning shots using non-lethal ammunition to disperse the crowd," she said. Police said no injuries were reported. "We're monitoring the situation, patrolling the area," provincial police spokeswoman Ronel Otto said. Mogalakwena, located in South Africa's northern Limpopo province, is an open pit mine.