Johannesburg -
ANC national executive committee member and businessman Cyril Ramaphosa and Lonmin Platinum mine management must be held responsible for the Marikana shooting on August 16, Cope Youth Movement said on Thursday.
“Cyril Ramaphosa... was shown to be a ruthless, cold-hearted businessman during the Marikana Commission of Inquiry,” the Congress of the People Youth Movement said in a statement.
“While this shows the intents of Cyril and his thoughts on the striking ex-NUM 1/8National Union of Mineworkers 3/8 members, it also shows the cold-heartedness of the former trade-unionist-come-businessman.”
Ramaphosa is also a former NUM general secretary.
On Tuesday, advocate Dali Mpofu, representing the miners wounded and arrested on August 16, said there was an e-mail in which Ramaphosa condemned mineworkers' protests, described them as criminal acts and suggested “concomitant action”.
Mpofu told the Farlam Commission into the shootings, which has been holding hearings at the Rustenburg Civic Centre, that the e-mail was sent 24-hours before 34 miners were killed by the police.
“He advanced that what was taking place were criminal acts and must be characterised as such. In line with this characterisation, 1/8Ramaphosa said 3/8 there needs to be concomitant action to address the situation,” said Mpofu.
He said e-mails were exchanged between Ramaphosa, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, Lonmin management and Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu.
Ramaphosa sits on the Lonmin board. The striking miners killed in the shooting were from Lonmin's platinum mine in Marikana.
Ramaphosa is also executive chairman of Shanduka Resources, which owns half of Incwala Resources, Lonmin's black economic empowerment partner.
The Cope Youth Movement said the e-mails had shown the influence Ramaphosa had on Lonmin and on the African National Congress.
“It is appalling that the ANC, NUM and Cyril himself would actually betray the very same people they claim to represent, while they are selling the souls of workers to greedy businesses in exchange for more wealth.”
It said large companies, like Lonmin, were appointing senior ANC members to their boards so they could have government protection. - Sapa