#Marikana shame

7776-Members of AMCU gathered in numbers to comemorate Marikana killings four years ago Picture:Dumisani Dube 16.08.2016

7776-Members of AMCU gathered in numbers to comemorate Marikana killings four years ago Picture:Dumisani Dube 16.08.2016

Published Aug 17, 2016

Share

Rustenburg - Even though it is considered the greatest tragedy in democratic South Africa by many, the absence of government officials and ANC politicians was striking at the commemoration of the Marikana massacre on Tuesday. This as opposition parties pledged money to help the community.

The Marikana Massacre Amcu Trust Fund, which will help uplift Lonmin miners and the widows left without their breadwinners, drew in millions of rand from the EFF, the UDM and the DA.

The government issued a statement saying that it had been “hard at work to address the revitalisation of distressed mining communities and find sustainable solutions that are of benefit to all” through an inter-ministerial committee.

While many of those attending the commemoration, organised by mining union Amcu (Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union), questioned the ruling party’s no-show, they were not surprised.

This followed President Jacob Zuma’s itinerary being changed to give Marikana in North West a miss during the ANC’s election campaign. Marikana has become a no-go area for the ruling party with many holding it, the police and Lonmin responsible for the deaths of dozens of miners in 2012 and then doing very little to fulfil promises of service delivery and community upliftment.

“Government has done absolutely nothing for us. Not even our own President Zuma, never mind the government. No one has come to us to apologise or to even talk to us about what happened and why it happened,” said widow Nandipha Guluza.

She told the Daily News's sister paper, The Star, that if Zuma had had the courage to apologise to those who lost their family members, it would bring them some peace.

Thousands of mineworkers, widows, politicians and religious leaders gathered at the Wonderkop Koppie on Tuesday – where the mass shootings took place – to remember those who lost their lives on that fateful day.

Miners said they did not regret participating in the 2012 strike and their fight for decent wages continued.

During the strike, 34 miners lost their lives and 10 people were murdered in the days leading up to the August 16 massacre.

While it seemed like a celebration as music was played and artists performed, workers told of the pain that day still brought.

Rock driller Mothusi Lekwape said that he could barely sleep on Monday night because of the memories.

“I was walking to the koppie for a meeting that day and I quickly reversed and went back home when I heard the shots, they were so loud. When I got home, I cried because I worked with those men,” said Lekwape while sitting on the koppie.

“I would do it again, because those people died for the R12 500 monthly wage because we haven’t achieved it yet. I don’t regret it and I never will because we have yet to earn that money,” he said.

His colleague Israel Motlade, who does rail maintenance at Lonmin, shared similar sentiments, saying he was angry that nothing had been done to make Tuesday a public holiday.

“This day made me angry, it should be the same as the Sharpeville Massacre. We are hurt by what happened,” said Motlade.

Widows also paid tribute to their husbands and pleaded for everyone to respect the area around the koppie as a scared space.

“We want that this place must be respected by everyone at Lonmin, our blood was lost here. If you could buy a life, then we would work hard to make sure that those people’s lives are brought back.

“We lost our husbands here,” said a shaken Nosakhe Nokhamba.

Those who addressed the gathering included the EFF’s Julius Malema, the DA’s Mmusi Maimane, Cope’s Mosiuoa Lekota, the UDM’s Bantu Holomisa and Zwelinzima Vavi, who spoke on behalf of unions working to launch a new labour federation.

Related Topics: