There’s still no accountability for the victims of the Marikana massacre, 12 years after the incident.
Hundreds gathered at the kopie ( mountaintop) in Wonderkom where police rounded up and shot at striking mine workers killing 34 and leaving scores injured.
The men who were mostly rock drillers belonging to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union which had just become the majority union at the mine were demanding a R12500 minimum pay.
The men had embarked on a wildcat strike resulting in a standoff with police and mine security and with then Lonmin Chairman and now President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa writing to an email to then police minister Nathi Mthethwa demanding “concomitant” action against the striking workers.
Ramaphosa is among those being pursued to account for the massacre and has had to fend off attempts to pressure him into apologising for his role in the tragedy.
“They did not just die, they were killed by someone. They were shot in broad daylight and there has to be accountability for the loss of life,” said Bishop Paul Verryn of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa who is also an anti apartheid activist.
Without naming Ramaphosa, Verryn believes he should apologise to families of victims.
“There has to be an apology. Someone has to say I am sorry, just that sorry. If they are not going to say sorry we will have to say it ourselves, that we are sorry for your death, sorry that you were killed for merely demanding R12500, someone has to say sorry,” said Verryn.
Verryn also questioned the high levels of poverty that continue plague Marikana inequality in Marikana and across South Africa.
“Why are these men expected to go down a shaft to dig for minerals but are not remunerated fairly for their hard work. Why are so many people in Marikana and across South Africa going to bed on empty stomachs while a few lives in luxury. We cannot continue like that,” he said.
AMCU Leader who also established the Labour Party which failed to register for the May 29 general elections called for an overhaul of the political system which he says is used by big business to maintain inequalities.
Mathunjwa said under the current system parliament is reduced to gatekeepers for the wealthy.
“We are paying people R 1. 3 million to just go into parliament and say ‘point of order’ what nonsense is that? Labour Party is coming in whether they like it or not and we are going to disrupt this formalised criminality,” he said.
Victims of the massacre are still pursuing civil charges against Ramaphosa and one of their legal representatives Advocate Dali Mpofu said the president and Sibanye ( company that bought Marikana mine from Lonmin which owned the company during the massacre) were dragging the matter.
“Lawyers representing Ramaphosa and Sibanye have opposed the urgency of the matter in court. I have never seen a case go on for 12 years,”he said.
Mpofu urged AMCU to make good on a threat to camp at the Union Buildings in protest against the delay.
