Marikana visit not on cards for Cyril

President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to go to Marikana to visit the widows of the mineworkers who were killed in the Lonmin Platinum mine wagerelated unrest of August 2012 but his office says this will not be happening as yet.

“I am not aware of any plans at this stage for the president to visit Marikana‚” his spokesperson Khusela Diko said in a text message.

“He has said he will visit Marikana once all consultations and consequential matters [are] attended to with the bereaved families‚ the injured miners and all stakeholders. This is work still in progress.”

Diko was responding to questions on whether Ramaphosa would be heading to Marikana ahead of the sixyear anniversary of the incident that left 44 people‚ including security guards‚ police and mineworkers‚ dead.

The majority of victims were mineworkers who were shot dead by the police on August 16 2012.

In April‚ at the funeral of struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela‚ Ramaphosa had said he would make good on Madikizela-Mandela’s wish for him to visit Marikana.

“I know Julius Malema will go with me so that we can go and heal the wounds of the Marikana widows‚” he said.

Meanwhile‚ a joint statement from the Marikana Support Campaign‚ Right2Know Campaign and the Socio Economic Rights Institute said: “Most of the recommendations that came out of the Farlam Commission have still to be acted upon.”