MARIKANA: THE AGONY CONTINUES
Thousands trek to koppie to remember the day 34 miners were killed
There is still no reparation for the families that lost breadwinners six years ago
Matatiele councillor Nomakhephu Mosebetsane was among the widows and relatives who commemorated the Marikana massacre on Thursday.
Her elder brother Thabiso died when police opened fire on Lonmin mineworkers on August 16 in 2012.
Mosebetsane left for Marikana in the North West on Wednesday to pay tribute to her brother and the other miners who died during the days of violence over demands for a R12,500 minimum wage for miners.
“We have been attending commemorations year in and year out and there seems to be no justice on the table for us.
“We must stop thinking that the government will ever take the death of our family members seriously.
“It should be our own course to seek justice and to influence the government to better the lives of our people,” she said.
Mosebetsane was sworn in as an Economic Freedom Fighters proportional representation councillor in the Matatiele local municipality after the 2016 local government elections.
She joined thousands of workers at Lonmin mine in Marikana as they began arriving at the massacre commemoration site as early as 8am on Wednesday.
She arrived at 11.30am at the place where her brother was shot dead.
A night vigil was held at the location where the shooting happened.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the biggest union in the platinum belt, bused in the families of those killed.
Meanwhile according to a report released on Wednesday by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) police officers involved in the Marikana massacre were not under threat by the striking miners.
The research‚ titled “Sound of Gunfire”‚ was guided by photographs‚ witness accounts and forensic evidence presented to the Farlam Commission about the events of August 16 2012.
The report claims to know why the miners were shot.
David Bruce‚ an independent researcher and expert on Marikana and policing‚ claimed the shooting was motivated by the desire to punish strikers for the killing of two police officers earlier that week.
“Basically, there is no evidence that the strikers shot at the police‚” said Bruce.
He said evidence before the Farlam Commission did not enable it to reach a conclusion that the strikers had attacked the police.
The commission disagreed with the evidence put forward by the police as it could not corroborate the forensic evidence the commission had.
The Farlam Commission recommended that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) reconstruct the scene to determine what happened and who could be held accountable for the deaths and injuries that occurred there.
Said Gareth Newham‚ head of justice and violence prevention at the ISS: “To date this has not happened.
“In April this year‚ Ipid told parliament it did not have the budget to reconstruct the scene.
“Until today there is no detailed account of what really happened. – Additional reporting by Kgaugelo Masweneng
Basically‚ there is no evidence that the strikers shot at the police