Plea to remember victims of Marikana
BITTER, ANGRY COMMENTS AT MARIKANA ANNIVERSARY
PRETORIA: President Jacob Zuma called on South Africans to keep the victims of the violent August 2012 strike at Marikana, North West, in in their thoughts and prayers as the third anniversary of the events was commemorated yesterday.
In a statement released by the Presidency, Zuma wanted August 16 to be a day of unity.
“This day must unite all of us as South Africans. Nobody supports the horrendous loss of life that occurred in Marikana.
“As government, we stand with all the people of Marikana and those of the Eastern Cape, from where many of those who died came.”
In August 2012, mineworkers at Lonmin’s platinum mine at Marikana went on a wildcat strike demanding a minimum salary of R12.500 a month.
It turned violent when 34 people, mostly mineworkers, died in a clash with police on August 16. The police were apparently aiming to disarm and disperse them. Ten other people were killed in the preceding week.
Zuma assured once again that the implementation of the recommendations of the Farlam Commission was being taken seriously.
MARIKANA: Economic Freedom Fighters commander-inchief Julius Malema launched a ferocious attack on the ANCled government yesterday, even labelling President Jacob Zuma “brainless”.
Malema was speaking at the third anniversary of the Marikana Massacre.
Thousands of people gathered at the Nkaneng informal settlement to commemorate the 34 mine workers who were killed on August 16, 2012.
“The 34 miners were killed by a murderous regime led by the ANC and its brainless president,” Malema told the crowd.
Malema further accused Zuma of being indifferent and failing to act with urgency to resolve the matter of the murders. “No one has been charged for the murder of the 34 people. Zuma wanted to be to seen like he was doing something by having a commission,” said Malema.
He extended his attack to Lonmin chief executive Ben Magara, who was present at the commemoration and sitting near the podium.
Malema referred to him in the third person and said: “He must know that he will only be one of us the day he pays workers R12 500. Being black does not make you progressive.
“You can be black and still be white on the inside like the CEO and Cyril Ramaphosa,” he said to the cheering crowd.
The criticism did not stop there as the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa went on the assault as well.
Mathunjwa accused Lonmin of failing to meet its obligation of taking care of the children of the dead mineworkers.
“We received word from the people on the ground who we sent to check on the condition of the children. What they said disappointed us.
“How can Lonmin put these kids in one classroom while they are sharing the same pain of losing their fathers? It’s not considerate. What you said you would do was a PR exercise when you look at what you actually did,” Mathunjwa said while referring to Magara.
Among those in attendance were some of the widows of the miners who were killed.
Nolundi Thukuza said the day still brought back painful memories of seeing her husband being gunned down.
Thukuza said Lonmin had given her and other widows jobs at the mine, but said this employment would not replace their husbands.
“Our hearts break every time we see other men going underground because our husbands are no longer there and they did the same for us. The government and Lonmin needs to pay us so we can go back home. Our kids do not have anyone to look after them because we are here working,” said Thukuza.
Thukuza was hired as a general cleaner in October and earns a wage of R8 000.
She said she disagreed with the outcome of the Farlam Commission, which only implicated the national police commissioner Riah Phiyega and North West police commissioner Lieutenant-Colonel Zukiswa Mbombo.
“Nobody knows who killed our husbands. The Commission was meant to help, but it didn’t. Lonmin needs to turn the Koppie into a heritage site and erect a tombstone with the names of the 34 engraved on it so that the country, and world, never forgets about what happened,” she added.
One of the survivors who still has a bullet lodged in his head from three years ago, demanded the arrest of Phiyega, former minister of police Nathi Mthethwa, former Minister of Minerals and Resources Susan Shabangu, and Zuma for the shooting.
Lungisile Madwasi was one of 40 miners who were injured but not detained on the day of the shooting.
“I have a bullet in my head that doctors can’t remove.
“Phiyega, Shabangu, Mthethwa and Zuma need to be arrested for the roles they played. We have told our lawyers to do everything in their power to make sure they bring them to justice,” Madwasi told the crowd.
Echoing Madwasi’s statements, Advocate Dali Mpofu gave the crowd a summary of the civil claim which they have launched against Lonmin, the National Union of Minework- ers (NUM), Mthethwa and Ramaphosa. He said they would also be contesting the inquiry’s findings at a court.
He said there were 336 claims amounting to more than R1 billion.
Mpofu said the legal advisers for the Marikana survivors and widows would also be laying criminal charges against 12 people who he dubbed as “the dirty dozen”.
“The government needs to stop dragging this matter on.
“They just need to sit down with those who were affected and compensate them,” Mpofu said.