The real tragedy of the Marikana Massacre
IT IS very sad and regrettable that the Marikana Massacre has been hijacked, and in today’s parlance, “weaponised” to achieve narrow political interests. The real tragedy of how this has turned out is that real accountability has been betrayed.
For one, the lead up to this tragedy is crassly overlooked. That is the 10 people who were murdered allegedly by the very striking mine works who were later attacked and killed by the police. When this issue is mentioned, is it a sideline to the bigger issue of the 34 miners, but it is very germane to what finally transpired.
This is not to absolve the police, but invariably, we tend to only concentrate on the 34 miners killed by the police at the expense of the non-strikers and security guards who were also brutally murdered.
Another element is how President Ramaphosa’s enemies want to use this tragedy to finish him politically. Of course, Ramaphosa has a case to answer for his reckless response to the impending crisis when he branded the strike a criminal act.
But is he alone in having to take culpability? What about Nathi Mthethwa, who was in charge of the police and his then boss president Zuma, who was overall politically responsible for what happened because those 34 miners were murdered by police under his control under Mthethwa?
Maybe the way to go to finally settle this matter is that the Marikana families should press the NPA to prosecute all those culpable – including Ramaphosa, Mthethwa, Zuma and others – and if it declines, go the private prosecution route.
But apportioning blame for this disaster in order to achieve partisan interests will never bring justice to those who really need it – the families of all those killed before and during this tragedy.
DR THABISI HOEANE | Pretoria