Nkosazana chased out of Marikana
Presidential hopeful told not to use ‘our pain to become president’
“Do not use the pain of mineworkers to pave your way to be elected ANC president in December.”
This is what a group of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) members told Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma yesterday when they blocked her from entering the area of a koppie at Wonderkop in Marikana.
The rocky koppie, or hill, is the place where 34 striking mineworkers were gunned down by police in 2012.
The families and community members feel the ANC government has not compensated them for the incident.
The area has also been a no-go area for President Jacob Zuma and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Yesterday Amcu members prevented Dlamini-Zuma from laying wreaths and forced her to leave.
She did not even step out of her vehicle. The union members shouted: “This is not a playground. Why did you not come when you were still the chairperson of the AU [African Union]”.
Napoleon Webster, a Marikana community activist, said Dlamini-Zuma’s actions were political.
“We can’t use the pain of our people for her to become the ANC president... She is doing what Cyril [Ramaphosa] did. We [also] chased her husband away last [time],” he said.
Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa said Dlamini-Zuma and her entourage did not follow the right protocol.
“Amcu branch structures feel undermined by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and her people. They feel that Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and her people should have communicated with the (Amcu) national office.”
Mathunjwa said it has been mentioned to Dlamini-Zuma and her entourage that the Wonderkop should not be used for political point scoring.
ANC Women’s League secretary general Meakgo Matuba downplayed the incident, saying: “We respect the decision of some Amcu members for requesting the ANCWL to postpone its wreath laying today (yesterday).
“We will continue working with all sectors of society including the labour unions to ensure that there is everlasting peace and harmony in Marikana.”
Earlier in the day Dlamini-Zuma had visited Bapo Ba Mogale Royal family who endorsed her to replace Zuma.
ANCWL members clad in yellow and white T-shirts written ‘NDZ for president’ shouted “We are ready for Nkosazana” as she stepped out of her car.
Emius Mogale, the nephew of the Bapo Ba Mogale incumbent chief Andrew Mogale described Dlamini-Zuma as a very important person.
Addressing the Bapo Ba Mogale traditional authority, ANCWL members and a group of church members from Saint John church, Dlamini-Zuma emphasised that the country’s economy needed to be transformed radically.