‘Government should hang their heads in shame': Marikana Massacre marks 13 years without justice

The Citizen

20 hours ago

Government has paid more than R350 million in claims linked to the tragedy.
Saturday, 16 August 2025, marked 13 years since 34 mineworkers were gunned down by police in what is now remembered as the Marikana massacre.
The incident took place at the Lonmin platinum mine (now Sibanye-Stillwater) in North West, during a wage protest in 2012.
Ten people were also killed in the days leading up to the Marikana massacre between 12 and 16 August.
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Although a commission of inquiry recommended that a full investigation be conducted to hold police accountable, no officers have faced prosecution to date.
Meanwhile, government has paid more than R350 million in claims linked to the tragedy.
Marikana Massacre remembered
On Saturday, various organisations honoured the victims and renewed calls for accountability.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) stressed that the slain miners were not criminals, but workers demanding fair wages.
'They were fathers, brothers, and sons, demanding a living wage in the face of exploitation, degradation, and hunger.
'Instead of dialogue and dignity, they were met with the barrels of guns in full view of the world,' the EFF said in a statement.
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The party also criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was a shareholder in Lonmin at the time, and the ANC for failing to deliver justice.
'It is not surprising then that the ANC has refused to bring justice to the families of the Marikana victims.
'There have been no prosecutions, no reparations, and no structural change to the mining sector that continues to enrich a few at the expense of the many.
'The workers of Marikana died in vain because their demands remain unmet, their killers remain unpunished, and the system that murdered them remains firmly in place.'
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg found in July 2022 that Ramaphosa did not carry legal responsibility for the massacre
The EFF's Statement on the Anniversary of the Marikana Massacre
-The recent unemployment statistics paint a bleak picture: millions without work, millions without hope, and millions trapped in poverty while the political elite grow richer. Black workers, in particular, have… pic.twitter.com/2uyJw3u2Sa — Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 16, 2025
'We will never forget'
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) also reiterated demands for justice.
'The families have yet to see justice, victims have yet to be compensated, and those who gave the orders have yet to be brought to account for their criminal conduct,' the union said.
AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa said the ongoing National Dialogue disrespected the memory of the slain workers.
'The government should hang their heads in shame. This slaughter of hard-working men happened under their watch, under their command.
'These workers are not just numbers – they had names, families, and identities. Yet we are still calling for justice thirteen years later. That is a disgrace,' he said.
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The union pointed out that Parliament rejected its calls for 16 August to be declared a public holiday.
'They would not even recognise it as a massacre. They want us to forget, but we will never forget.'
AMCU added that, through the Marikana Massacre Trust Fund, it has built houses for the families of 34 victims.
Mathunjwa said the day was more than just about remembrance, but a warning.
'That was the day the state showed its true face,' he added.
Silence on NPA appeal
Furthermore, the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (Seri) emphasised that true justice could only come through successful prosecutions.
'The state continues to fail the families of the deceased and the survivors of the massacre,' the NGO said.
While the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has prosecuted nine police officers, Seri highlighted that that two trials ended in acquittals.
'In 2023, the NPA issued a statement detailing various personnel and resource constraints as reasons for their failure to prosecute the Marikana case.
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'However, two more years have passed, and the families and survivors of the massacre have still not seen any progress concerning prosecutions for the massacre of 16 August 2012.
'Following the acquittals in 2024, the families were told that the NPA would consider an appeal but have heard nothing since.
'This inaction reflects a lack of commitment to ensuring the families obtain justice for the deaths of their loved ones.'
Seri added that several family members of the victims had died without ever seeing accountability.
Marikana Massacre a 'premeditated act of state violence'
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) declared that the Marikana massacre was not a tragic accident, but 'a premeditated act of state violence in defence of capital'.
The federation said the state has ignored or failed to implement the commission's recommendations adequately.
'The state's refusal to fully implement these recommendations confirms Saftu's reluctance to participate in any so-called national dialogue.
'Dialogue without justice is a betrayal to the victims and a mockery to the working class.'
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