Mpofu: Ramaphosa owes Marikana families a personal apology

Saturday marked 13 years since police gunned down 34 striking workers in the North West Province.

Ten people, including police and security officers, were killed in the weeks leading up to the bloodshed.

Workers at the Lonmin platinum mine gathered on a hill, after protesting for several weeks, to demand better wages and housing.

President Ramaphosa, who at the time was a non-executive director at Lonmin, had called for action against the striking workers, who he alleged had been committing, “criminal acts”.

The president was later cleared of liability by the Farlam Commission of Inquiry, which put most of the blame for the miners’ deaths on police tactics.

 READ: Marikana: 12 years later, still no apology to families – SERI

The National Prosecuting Authority has prosecuted nine police officers to date.

On Saturday, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union called for the 16th of August to be made a national holiday.

Build One South Africa says it should be commemorated as a Memorial Day.

Advocate Mpofu, who represented the injured mineworkers at hearings of the Farlam inquiry, says Ramaphosa had promised a formal apology to them but has yet to deliver it.

Addressing a rally on Saturday, he said families are now planning on taking legal action.

"Cyril Ramaphosa said, no, they must send the army and the police because the workers were criminals. They should have come to talk to the workers who were here. Seven years ago, in a funeral in Orlando Stadium, Cyril Ramaphosa said he was going to come here and speak to the widows. He said he was going to come and apologise. That was another dialogue that he missed. So, seven years later, he still has not come here."

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