Rustenburg - The Farlam commission report on the shooting that left 44 people dead in Marikana near Rustenburg in North West must be made public, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Sunday.
“Farlam Commission report and its findings and recommendations have not been made public. Instead it has been made a private affair of the president…” said general secretary Irvin Jim.
“It was President Jacob Zuma’s government that killed workers in Marikana. In the middle of such a massacre and in the face of such a crisis he appointed a commission whose task and mission was supposed to lay bare the facts on the roles of the police, and the leadership of the police starting from the Minister of Police at the time Nathi Mathethwa, the current commissioner Riah Phiyega, General Zukiswa Mbombo the provincial North West commissioner and the role played by Cyril Ramaphosa in this massacre.
“The commission, must tell the South African public who gave orders to shoot to kill.”
He said the Numsa central committee which held its meeting last week, called on chairman of the commission retired judge Ian Farlam, to call a press conference and tell the SA public the outcome of the commission.
“We can’t be subjected to Jacob Zuma who knows the outcome, as his government is conflicted. This is so critical if our country’s constitution which has separation of powers is respected by all of us. We firmly believe that there is no government that can justly claim authority over information of this nature. This must be done urgently.”
President Jacob Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj said he “has no idea when the report will be made public”.
Forty-four people were killed in Marikana in August 2012 during labour unrest. Mineworkers at Lonmin’s Marikana operation went on a wild cat strike demanding to be paid a minimum monthly salary of R12,500. On August 16, 2012, 34 mineworkers were killed when the police fired at them, ten including two policeman and two Lonmin security guards were killed in the preceding week.
Zuma appointed Farlam to chair a commission probing the incident. It completed its work and handed over a report to the presidency at the end of March.
ANA