ANA reports that Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane on Monday accused the government of having consigned the Marikana tragedy to history after President Jacob Zuma said he would not declare 16 August a commemorative day to mark the mass shooting of 34 miners five years ago.  

Zuma, in response to a parliamentary question from Maimane, said the most effective way of honouring the 2012 victims was to take practical steps to improve the lives of mining communities.  Zuma added that the inter-ministerial committee on distressed mining communities had done commendable work.  Maimane described Zuma's response as "flippant" and commented that it was “now clear that the ANC government has washed their hands of the slain Marikana victims."

• Read this report by Emsie Ferreira in full at IOL News
• Read the DA’s press statement in this regard at DA Newsroom

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page