‘Marikana heritage never honoured’
MORE than 25 million South Africans are living in poverty and the ANC government has done nothing to improve their lives, DA leader Mmusi Maimane has said.
He was speaking on Saturday during his party’s Heritage Day celebration at the George Harrison Heritage Park in Joburg, the same site which claimed the lives of three illegal miners two weeks ago.
Expressing his condolences to the dead miners’ families, Maimane said the three died while “searching for an opportunity in society”.
“The discovery of gold here might have set Joburg on an incredible trajectory and brought great wealth to some, but it also brought with it hardship and pain to many others…
“Over the past century our mines have seen some of the most brutal clashes between government and civilians in the history of our country, including the tragic events of August 16, 2012 where 34 miners were gunned down by the police at Marikana,” Maimane said.
“The wealth of our mines has often come at a huge cost to working-class South Africans.”
Maimane’s softened approached on illegal mining appears to have been influenced by what Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba had said: that R5 million was set aside in 2010 to turn the heritage site into a monument, but nothing came of it.
About the heritage site, Mashaba earlier said: “It forms part of our shared heritage and it represents powerful human emotions of struggle, ambition and aspiration. Yet tragically, as you can all see today, this site has been forgotten by government and left to deteriorate into a dilapidated, dangerous and neglected place.”
In 2010, a R5m public/private partnership agreement was entered into by the City of Joburg and Central Rand Gold. This was meant to turn the historic site into a preserved park with urban landscapes and green initiatives. According to the city’s archived records, the George Harrison Park would be restored and developed.
It was meant to have “designated pathways surrounded by lush greenery, a play area for children, a mining headgear and viewing deck, and a museum to display the area’s historical value. But what we see today is a stark contradiction,” Mashaba said.