Marikana report an injustice shielding those with bloody hands
THE United Front regards President Jacob Zuma’s statement on the release of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the August 2012 Marikana massacre as a bloodwash that absolves his government from any political responsibility.
Ironically, this bloodwash was released on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter which promised fairness, justice and that “all shall be equal before the law”. This is yet another moment which shows how this government has failed the Struggle for liberation.
The UF is extremely disap- pointed that the commission failed to find anyone political responsible for the terrible massacre of striking mineworkers at Marikana.
In fact, the commission went so far as to exonerate the politicians who were directly intervening in the lead-up to the massacre – these being Cyril Ramaphosa (current Deputy President and shareholder at Lonmin), Nathi Mthethwa (former minister of Safety and Security) and Susan Shabangu (former minister of Mineral Resources).
This failure mars the work of the commission and denies justice to tens of families and fellow mineworkers.
This failure is consistent with the bias of the report against the striking mineworkers. The UF is reminded of how President Zuma narrowed the scope and terms of reference of the commission precisely to ensure that only scapegoats would be found responsible and held accountable for the Marikana massacre.
Further, the UF condemns President Zuma for failing to give sufficient notice to the families of the deceased in order that they may prepare for the release of the report. This is callous. We are unconvinced that the Farlam recommendation for further investigation of the possible culpability of the police in the killings will yield any justice. As the case of the late Andries Tatane shows, investigations against police abuses and brutality generally do not yield justice for the victims.
As the Marikana Support Campaign has said, the prospect of any investigation against the police making any headway is highly unlikely given limited criminal justice resources and the lack of political will to hold anyone accountable for the massacre.
The UF believes that the Farlam recommendation for an investigation into the fitness of the national police commissioner, General Riah Phiyega, to hold office will be a waste of time and resources.
Already, the commission’s own investigation and question of Phiyega showed that she was incompetent, acted on political considerations and acted in collusion with Lonmin.
These alone are sufficient for the commission to make a prima facie finding about her lack of fitness to hold office.
The report also falls short in its analysis of the structural and systemic foundations of the conditions that gave rise to the strike and massacre – the super-exploitation of black workers at the behest of capitalist shareholders who retail control of the minerals and economy of South Africa.
The United Front will join the MSC, the families of the deceased, Amcu and others of good conscience to win justice for Marikana in a press conference today. It will be held at 10am in the ground-floor meeting room, 34 Eloff Street, Johannesburg CBD.
The press conference will give a comprehensive response to the Farlam report, and also announce full details of a programme of action to take up demands and matters arising from the report.
The MSC will give a detailed analysis and proposals on the report to the United Front’s National Working Committee, which meets over this coming weekend.
Jara is the United Front National Secretary