WIDOWS OF MARIKANA MASSACRE VICTIMS CALL FOR JUSTICE 10 YEARS ON

Tuesday marked 10 years since 34 protesting Lonmin mineworkers were shot dead, live on TV. Amcu has held a special  

Widows of some of the Marikana Massacre victims at the 10th commemoration on Tuesday, 16 August 2022. Picture: Abigail Javier/Eyewitness News.

Theto Mahlakoana & Nkosikhona Duma

MARIKANA - The widows of mineworkers, who were killed by the police in Marikana in August 2012, have said it is unjust that no one has been prosecuted.

Tuesday marked 10 years since 34 protesting Lonmin mineworkers were shot dead, live on TV. Ten people other people were killed in the week before the massacre.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) held a special event to commemorate today's anniversary.

Speaking on behalf of the widows of the murdered Lonmin mineworkers, Nosihle Ngoyi slammed the State for failing to hold accountable those responsible for the massacre. “We want all those implicated in the murders to be prosecuted. We want to see them going to jail,” she said.

Amcu held Tuesday's event under the theme '10 years of betrayal' and said no one has been held accountable for the 2012 murders.

The widows of slain mineworkers also repeated calls for 16 August to be declared a national holiday.

'DON'T LOSE HOPE FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE'

One of the survivors of the Marikana Massacre, Mzoxolo Magidiwane, has pleaded with hundreds of people gathered in Wonderkop- including the widows of slain mineworkers- not to lose hope in their pursuit of justice.

He has explained that while it may take some time, in the end the people who “spilled” blood in Marikana will be prosecuted.

Magidiwane, who is also facing prosecution over the violence that took place in the days before 16 August 2012, said the truth will unburden them.

According to Magidiwane, he still feels pain when he speaks out loud, because of the bullets that remain in his body. “In Ramaphosa’s case, we will not stop pushing for his prosecution because government said they were busy with reparations. We won’t stop, our lives are worth more than their money,” he added.

Magidiwane has explained that because of the pain caused, he will not forgive President Cyril Ramaphosa or former president Jacob Zuma- who was in charge of government when the mineworkers were shot by the police 10 years ago.

“We can’t be patient for too long while we live with the implications of the shooting. To this day, I can feel the bullet wounds pulling at me. The pain is unbearable," explained Magidiwane.

Other survivors and leaders of Amcu also addressed the gathering on Tuesday afternoon.

DA JOINS CALLS FOR JUSTICE

The Democratic Alliance has called for those responsible for the Marikana massacre to be held to account.

The party said it's unthinkable, that police would unleash the kind of brutal violence that they did, under a democratic government.

The DA said the violence meted out to the miners in 2012 is like the scenes seen under the apartheid government.

DA national spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube said: “This is a blight on our constitutional democracy and a reminder that this should never ever happen again. But it can only be a reminder that it won’t happen again, when we make sure that those people who are responsible are held accountable”.

Additional reporting by Gladys Mutele.