Marikana widows struggling
THE widows of the 34 mineworkers shot dead during the Marikana massacre say they are living in abject poverty as they wait for compensation for the killing of their breadwinners six years ago.
They said by failing to reach out to them, the government has not learnt a lesson from arguably the worst post-independence tragedy to hit the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, said Ramaphosa had publicly apologised for the 2012 killings and dealt with the perception created regarding the role he played during the miners’ strike at Marikana.
She said Ramaphosa, as the outgoing chairperson of the SA Development Community (SADC), would be out of the country today, the sixth anniversary of the massacre, to attend the 38th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the SADC in Windhoek. The widows said life had not been the same without their husbands. “I sometimes struggle to buy food and electricity. As we speak now, there is no mealie meal in the house,” said Makopano Thelejane.
Thelejane, 52, lost her husband and the father of her two children when police opened fire on striking mineworkers at Marikana. A total of 44 people were killed during the unprotected strike for improved wages and working conditions.
“My husband gave me everything. When I called out to him, he provided for my needs. It is tough. The pain will never go away. I took ill when my husband died and have never had good health since then,” said Thelejane.
“The government has not done anything to help us. We are still waiting for compensation. If the government had started helping us, it would mean they had learnt a lesson from the tragedy.”
Thelejane’s son, Kopano, has since been employed by Lonmin, the North West platinum mine where the miners who were killed worked.
Mamerapelo Lekoetje, whose husband, Mgcineni Noki, also died at Marikana, said he had phoned her on that fateful day. She recalled how affectionate Noki, who became known as “the man in the green blanket” after the massacre, sounded when he spoke to her.
“He called at 5am while I was getting ready for work. I was so surprised. His last words to me were: ‘I love you.’ I have learnt to live without my husband. What else can I do?
“We have to continue commemorating this day. Government has not done anything to show remorse for the killings. They were innocent, they were workers fighting for better lives for their families and better pay,” Lekoetje said.
Lekoetje is raising their 8-year-old daughter Asive on her own. “I am grateful to Lonmin because they kept their promise to help us with our children’s schooling. Our daughter is now in Grade 3 and I hope Lonmin will be there when she goes to a tertiary institution,” she said.