Thirty-four miners were killed when police opened fire on them during a wildcat strike at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana on August 16, 2012.
AS THE country on Tuesday marked a decade since the Marikana massacre, hundreds of mineworkers, union and community members gathered at the scene of the tragedy to call for justice for the lives lost during the deadly wage strike.
Thirty-four miners were killed when police opened fire on them during a wildcat strike at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana on August 16 in 2012.
The EFF once again reiterated its call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to account for his role in the deaths of the workers.
In a statement, the EFF said it would never forget that Ramaphosa, who was a shareholder at Lonmin mine at the time, ordered the police to a “concomitant action” against the miners who had gathered at the kopie, resulting in one of the worst unprecedented tragedies in post-apartheid South Africa.
“The pre-meditated murder was confirmed when several hearses arrived instead of ambulances. The path to Ramaphosa’s presidency is bloody and continues his torturous ways even while in office,” the party said.
DA national spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube said despite the Farlam Commission’s inquiry into the massacre, the families of those who died in Marikana have yet to see justice done.
“Not a single person has been held accountable for the massacre. In the decade since the tragedy, no politicians or police officers have been arrested for the violence that was unleashed on people who were fighting for better working conditions – a failure on the part of South African law enforcement agencies,” said Gwarube.
The South African government said it continues to support the Marikana community through various interventions, including the building of the Areagisaneng Secondary School in partnership with the Sibanye Stillwater mine.
The Solicitor-General announced that the government has made payments of over R170 million to claimants who were affected by the Marikana tragedy.
