ANA reports that President Jacob Zuma has said he would not declare a commemorative day to mark the killing of miners at Marikana five years ago, as the most effective way of honouring the victims was to take practical steps to improve the lives of mining communities.  

Zuma was responding to a written parliamentary question by Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane.  Zuma added that government was duly implementing the recommendations of the Farlam commission of inquiry that probed the 2012 massacre.  He said the inter-ministerial committee on distressed mining communities had done commendable work, including delivering 522 housing units, and its objectives were being folded into government’s action plan  Furthermore, mining house Lonmin had upgraded more than 2,500 of its hostels and was conducting a feasibility study for a housing development of 5,000 units at Marikana Extension 5.

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