Johannesburg - The Marikana violence of 2012 had shed light on the living conditions of miners in South Africa, former president Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday.
“Marikana was a very bad thing, But that issue has raised very important issues of mining in this country,” he said.
“The blood that was shed creates something that gets us to say ‘let's change the conditions for miners in this country’.”
He was speaking at the Old Mutual Wisdom Forum dinner in Johannesburg.
The Farlam Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate the deaths of 44 people during unrest at Lonmin's platinum mine in Marikana in August 2012.
Thirty-four people, mostly striking mineworkers, were shot dead in a clash with the police on August 16.
More than 70 people were wounded and more than 200 were arrested.
The police were apparently trying to disarm and disperse them.
In the preceding week, 10 people, including two policemen and two Lonmin security guards, were killed.
In June, Zuma extended the inquiry to September 30. The inquiry held initial public hearings in October 2012. - Sapa