Union wants Ramaphosa to meet Marikana widows

THE Association of Mining and Construction Workers Union (Amcu) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to meet the widows of the miners killed in the 2012 Marikana massacre.

Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa said the living conditions of some widows were deplorable, while others had taken their husbands’ places at the mines.

He said the widows had been traumatised by the massacre.

Mathunjwa said he wrote to President Ramaphosa, but he had not responded.

About 34 miners died in Marikana, on August 16, 2012, after an instruction by Ramaphosa – then a non-executive director of mining company Lonmin – for officials to take “concomitant action” during a wage strike at the mine.

Mathunjwa said Ramaphosa had been invited to the Marikana memorials, but had never showed up.

“We have written to him and we placed some demands of those who were injured, but only the widows and the majority of the workers were acknowledged by the President. But there was no meeting. We asked for an audience, but there was nothing,” Mathunjwa said.

Meanwhile, several SAPS members were due to appear at the North West High Court yesterday in connection with the massacre

African Transformation Movement president Vuyo Zungula said police officials were being “thrown under the bus”.

“Why are they going for people who are at the bottom? It’s a problem for us. These cops have families and they were carrying out instructions. The President and others need to be charged too,” said Zungula.

He said the Farlam Commission of Inquiry had failed to deal with the real reason behind the deaths.

“The real issue is the political leadership of the country, the politically connected who can ask junior officials to act, knowing very well that they will be exempted from facing justice. We have a problem – Ramaphosa and white capital are getting away with it,” said Zungula.

Presidency spokesperson Tyrone Seale was not available for comment at the time of publication.