RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 16: Marikana mine worker’s affiliated to AMCU lay wreath at the Koppie in commemoration of Marikana Massacre on August 16, 2020 in Rustenburg, South Africa. The Marikana massacre is a fatal incident that took place at the Lonmin Platinum mine on 16 August 2012 where 37 workers were killed during a peaceful protest. (Photo by Gallo Images/Daily Sun/Morapedi Mashashe)
‘Fateful events of Marikana occurred on our watch’ – ANC
Monday 16 August marks the nine-year anniversary of the tragic events of Marikana. The ANC said it stands with every family member who lost a loved one.
RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 16: Marikana mine worker’s affiliated to AMCU lay wreath at the Koppie in commemoration of Marikana Massacre on August 16, 2020 in Rustenburg, South Africa. The Marikana massacre is a fatal incident that took place at the Lonmin Platinum mine on 16 August 2012 where 37 workers were killed during a peaceful protest. (Photo by Gallo Images/Daily Sun/Morapedi Mashashe)
The African National Congress (ANC) has joined stakeholders and the community of Marikana in remembering the lives that were lost on 16 August 2012. Monday, therefore, marks the ninth anniversary of the tragic events that led to the death of 44 people, including 34 miners.
MARIKANA: ‘WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DRAW VALUABLE LESSONS’ – ANC
ANC National spokesperson Pule Mabe, in a statement, said Marikana will always remain a dark spot on our democratic society. He went on to say that it is a constant reminder of the distance we must continue to travel as we strive to build a truly economically inclusive, equal and just society.
“The ANC acknowledges that South Africans can never go back and undo the tragic events of that fateful day. However, we have a responsibility to draw valuable lessons from them,” he said.
“The ANC stands with every widow, mother, father, son and daughter, brother and sister who lost a loved one during that entire period. We shall endeavour never to forget their memories,” he added.
Mabe also said that as the governing party, it acknowledges that the fateful events of Marikana occurred on its watch.
SOUTH AFRICANS CAN TAKE COMFORT….
Mabe said South African citizens can take comfort from the fact that since the tragic events of that period, industrial relations in the mining sector continue to improve.
“We are heartened to note that stakeholders – workers, employers and the state – have taken to heart the harsh lessons learnt from Marikana. As South Africans, we must make a solemn pledge never to allow the eruption of another Marikana,” he said.
“We reiterate our call to government to move with speed in implementing programmes that will help alleviate the plight of affected families and to ensure that conditions that led to this tragedy are addressed,” he added.
STILL NO JUSTICE FOR MARIKANA VICTIMS
Democratic Alliance (DA) National spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube also released a statement on the anniversary of Marikana, saying that even after nine years, there has been no justice for the victims.
“Nine years since the tragic event and the survivors of the Marikana massacre as well as the families of the mineworkers killed by police are yet to see any justice. The Marikana massacre was a callous act of violence by the ANC government against its people and should never have happened, certainly not in a democratic society,” said Gwarube.
She went on to say that President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC government have offered nothing but “hollow apologies”.
“While President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government have offered hollow apologies for what transpired at Lonmin mine on that fateful day, the widows and family members of miners brutally killed and injured at the hands of the government are still waiting for accountability, justice and compensation,” she added.
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