TODAY marks nine years since the Marikana massacre, which saw the slaughter of many desperate miners in the North West.
The tragic day saw cops open fire on miners with live ammunition, leaving 34 dead and 78 seriously injured.
It was widely reported by the People’s Paper that in the days leading to what was called doomsday between 12 and 14 August, at least four miners, two police officers and two security guards died in violence.
For three weeks, miners downed tools as they were striking for a living wage of R12 500.
The departed miners’ families and survivors are still reeling in pain, with their deaths allegedly being in vain and used to settle political scores.
But what made matters worse was the silent treatment from the ruling party.
Widows are still waiting for President Cyril Ramaphosa to pay them a visit.
The president publicly said he was going to go to Marikana to apologise for what happened.
But the widows are still waiting.
However, they are still hopeful he will visit them one day.
One of them, Betty Gadlela said when Ramaphosa comes to Marikana, he should consider empowering widows with projects that would allow them to make money in their villages as some have left their homes to work at the mine.
Following the death of their husbands, widows who could work were given jobs at the mine to fill in the vacant posts left by their husbands.
But widows like Betty have had it and she wants to spend what’s remaining of her life at home in Mpumalanga.
“The president must make projects that will give us ways to make money without having to work at the mine.”
She said they spend a better part of their lives at the mine and their homes were falling apart.
“They must get us out of this place, we work hard there. I am from quarantine right now. I was sick, I had coronavirus and pneumonia and I was in hospital for three weeks,” she said.
Zameka Nungu, another widow, said she has lost all hope that Ramaphosa will ever set foot in Marikana.
“If he ever comes, he will be coming to our grandchildren, we have lost all hope.”
She said there wasn’t much that has changed since they lost their loved ones in 2012.
Zameka said they still want justice and all the people responsible for the deaths of the 34 miners arrested.
She said she will have hope when former North West deputy police commissioner William Mpembe, who is currently on trial, is sentenced.
Zameka said she was thankful to Amcu, which has built her a house back home in the Eastern Cape.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Amcu North West chairman Loyiso Tyabuko said the ruling party has been mum since 2012 after the miners were gunned down.
He said while other political parties came to offer messages of support, the ANC’s silence has been deafening.
“Not once did they come to see the families and the survivors or to even offer any support to them. This has been a clear indication that what happened was not a mistake but a plan that was well executed.”
Tyabuko said they have tried to engage with them to at least make 16 August a public holiday, but they never got a response.
He said they tried to send emails and even wrote letters, but none of the ANC officials came back to them.
“We had hoped that as our government they would sympathise with us by reaching out to the families or survivors.”
He said even the hope they had through the law has faded and when the Farlam Commission of inquiry was established, they hoped justice would prevail by holding all responsible to an account, but they now don’t believe that would happen.
He said the commission confirmed that police intentionally hunted the miners to kill them, but the cops are being acquitted.
“This could be because the ruling party is the one in charge of the commission.
“No one will be charged with the shooting. Death will be forgotten unless we do something. We also want the koppie mountain to be declared a heritage site,” he said.
WHAT GOVERNMENT DID
After the devastating massacre, former president Jacob Zuma appointed a commission of inquiry, chaired by retired judge Ian Farlam.
The commission heard evidence from miners, their bosses and cops and reviewed video, audio and paper records of the shooting and the seven-day strike that led to it.
The commission recommended there be an inquiry into suspended national police commissioner Riah Phiyega’s fitness to hold office and the National Prosecuting Authority to investigate several of the killings and whether police exceeded the bounds of self and private defence in shooting the strikers. Phiyega was later dismissed but the commission did not lead to any senior politicians, police officers or key role players being charged by the NPA.
When the report was released in March, Police Minister Bheki Cele claimed that government had paid R176 million to compensate families of the people who were killed. Cele claimed civil claims amounting to R18 million were yet to be finalised.
Amcu will hold the ninth commemoration of the Marikana massacre on YouTube today.
The programme is expected to start at 11am.
There will be a live crossing to the koppie at Marikana between 3pm and 4pm for the laying of wreaths.
