Home for family of Marikana leader Noki

THE late Mgcineni “Mambush” Noki, who later became known as “the man in the green blanket” following the 2012 Marikana massacre tragedy, was a fearless leader and gallant revolutionary on the same level as the likes of Robert Sobukwe, Steve Biko and Chris Hani.

This was the praise bestowed on him by Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa on the weekend.

Mathunjwa officially handed over the keys to a modern three-bedroom house to Noki’s family on Saturday, in his birth village of Thwalikhulu near Coffee Bay.

The upmarket face brick house cost more than R500 000 to build.

Noki and his green blanket became a prominent feature in the media prior to the fateful shooting of 34 striking Lonmin mineworkers in 2012, an event which became known as the Marikana massacre.

Mathunjwa described the deaths of the mineworkers as a dark day in the history of South Africa but praised Noki, who was one of the leaders, for his fearless courage.

He said the rock drill operator had compensated for his lack of education with wisdom.

“He was on the same level as the late [Pan Africanist Congress founder] and scholar Professor Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, [Black Consciousness Movement founder] Steve Biko and [former South African Communist Party general secretary] Chris Hani,” said the union leader.

“But what is unique about him is that his demise came at the hands of a government that is supposedly democratic,” said Mathunjwa.

He also labelled Noki as a proponent of radical economic transformation.

“When they demanded R12 500 back in 2012, it was radical economic transformation but it was a foreign concept back then,” he added.

Last year, the Amcu leader promised to build houses for the families of the Marikana victims and on the weekend, Mathunjwa promised to make good on his promise. This was the first of those houses promised.

However, he said it had been a challenge finishing Noki’s house due to limited funding as the union did not receive any financial help from corporate business “or government for that matter”.

Noki’s wife, Mathapelo Lekoetje said her life and those of their children had changed drastically since his death.

“It’s sad. It is a bittersweet moment really because we are getting this house because of his death.”

Traditional leader in the village, chief Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo praised Amcu for prioritising giving Mambush the house.

He said Lonmin owed the family a lot as Noki’s support for his family went beyond his immediate relatives.

He also revealed that Noki had been christened “Mambush” by the villagers due to his prowess on the soccer field where he was also fearless. —