A shame never to be repeated
THE eminent poet, Thomas Stearns Eliot, once quipped: “This is the way the world ends – not with a bang but a whimper.” Unlike the expected bang that many were anticipating, the eventual release of the Marikana report was a disastrous whimper.
Speaking on behalf of the Marikana victims, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza SC said: “My great disappointment is, what does this commission achieve in the end? It is a commission that has decided nothing. It is inconclusive, no one is held responsible. After 300 days of examination and 30 000 pages of evidence, I would have expected something more compelling in the findings.”
For the widows of the numerous miners who perished on August 16 2012, retired Judge Ian Farlam’s report was supposed to bring closure through holding senior political office bearers accountable.
In addition, they expected the Farlam’s inquiry to conclude with a clear compensation package that would go a long way towards assisting the bereaved families.
Unfortunately their expectations were dashed. Instead “…the commission seemingly opened the wounds and poured acid on the wounds” said Joseph Mathunjwa, the leader of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, explained.
In order to alleviate the suffering of the families of the deceased and justify the reason behind the expensive lengthy commission, Advocate George Bizos SC has suggested that Lonmin and the police reach an agreement as to who should pay compensation for what. “We can’t have families waiting for years to get appropriate compensation,” he added.
That deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa (Lonmin shareholder at the time of the Marikana massacre) was not reprimanded, despite the infamous e-mail that implicated him – left many dumbfounded.
Further, the complete exoneration of the former minister of police, Nathi Mthethwa also left a very bad taste in the mouths of many.
The two scapegoats cited in the report, General Riah Phiyega (the national police commissioner) and Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo (former North West province commissioner), are only likely to be questioned on their fitness to hold office instead of being charged for their part in the events of that day.
For those who survived August 16 2012, the memories are still fresh and vivid. It might take considerable time for them to come to terms with what happened. And though their visible scars have finally healed, the psychological trauma and invisible scarring could become a permanent feature of their lives. In this regard one remembers that trauma centres in Europe first began to experience an influx of old soldiers seeking help some 70 years after the end of World War 2I.
Instead of the constant bickering, playing the blame game, and shifting responsibility our nation should enact a rebirth. In the end, history will record August 16 2012 as that sunny day that gave our nascent democracy its most arduous test – whether the egalitarian vision of the April 27 1994 would long endure.
What should be noted is that at a Marikana koppie, streams of blood gushed. It marked what will forever be hallowed ground, an eternal imprint of those who fell on that day.
In retrospect, the police rifles that rang incessantly long after death had ensued were providence’s way of saluting the dead.
Few will remember the posturing of lawyers at Judge Farlam’s commission of inquiry, and fewer still will recall the political machinations of our electioneering and divisive political parties. But none shall forget the ultimate sacrifice of those whose spirits found a final resting place at Marikana, Rustenburg.
The ground on which so many fell should be a memorial devoted to the ideal for which they sacrificed their last breath.
It is for us, the living, to resolve that those who died have not done so in vain; that our nation shall experience a rebirth, and from our national shame shall rise a caring people led by selfless individuals passionate about serving the needs of society; that industry will sing a new song with human life and profit margins on an equal scale; that the lives of the descendants of every miner will never mirror those of their forefathers; and that South Africa will regain its rightful place as a beacon of reconciliation and coexistence of myriad cultures.