News24 reports that political parties used the 12th anniversary of the Marikana massacre to reflect on the tragedy which left 34 striking miners dead in the North West.
On 16 August 2012, 34 striking miners died when police opened fire at the Lonmin platinum mine, near Rustenburg. In a statement on Friday, the EFF noted that it “was born from the ashes of Marikana” and went on to indicate: "Twelve years have passed since that fateful day, yet the wounds remain open. The mineworkers who survived continue to toil in exploitative conditions, fighting the same battle for a living wage. The families of the fallen have been dragged through the courts, seeking compensation that will never bring back their loved ones. And yet, justice remains elusive." The party claimed that mineworkers still worked under the same conditions. The ANC's Zuko Godlimpi said the party was committed to ensuring that the tragedy never happened again and indicated that it has “championed the protection of mineworkers through rigorous enforcement of safety standards and labour rights across the mining industry.” In a joint statement, Amnesty International and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) said more than 100 people had yet to receive justice and reparations from the state, leaving them in limbo. "For the past two years, the Office of the Solicitor-General has publicised that it has settled about R71 million in loss of support to 34 of the families, comprising about 315 family members, between August 2018 and September 2019. What the office does not explain is that, of these claimants, about 129 people have received nothing," they said. SERI's Nomzamo Zondo, stated: "At the very core of the state's position is a denial of the humanity of the men gunned down on 13 and 16 August 2012.” Amnesty International SA's Shenilla Mohamed stated: "The lack of accountability for victims and their families is a recurring theme in South Africa, but we need to continue demanding answers as to why it is taking more than a decade, in the case of the Marikana massacre, for there to be any prosecutions, and ultimately accountability for the brutal loss of life."
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Khoza at News24 (registration required)
- Read too, Marikana massacre: 12 years on, no apology, some victims remain uncompensated, at Saturday Star
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