South Africans are still feeling the pain of the Marikana killings, six years on, with citizens taking to social media on Thursday to relay messages of protest and solidarity for the 34 miners who were shot dead during a protest on 16 August, 2012.
Questions are being asked about why the families of those who were gunned down as they demonstrated for better pay, have not been compensated and why issues raised then have still not been dealt with.
The ruling Africa National Congress (ANC) Party issued a statement on Wednesday to urge the South African government to take appropriate action.
“We call upon government to move with urgency in implementing the recommendations as directed by the Farad Commission and particularly pay attention to interventions aimed at alleviating the plight of the affected families,” the statement read in part.
Among the commission recommendations – released in 2015 – were that those who committed the killings be investigated and prosecuted, while a panel is established to review the policing of protests.
A new report released by the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) on Wednesday has revealed that the miners did not shoot at the police to provoke a response. Most of the miners were shot in the back as they ran.
One Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh demanded for an official apology from the government.
https://twitter.com/SizweMpofuWalsh/status/1029967905218355200
Catherine Constantinides meanwhile said that the incident can never be forgotten.
https://twitter.com/ChangeAgentSA/status/1029952775839522817
Zwelinzima Vavi meanwhile complained about the mine workers who were arrested over the death of their colleagues.
https://twitter.com/Zwelinzima1/status/1029973661992857601
According to the ANC: “There is no doubt about our commitment in ensuring that never again should such a tragedy befall our nation, and no stone will be left unturned in ensuring that measures are in place to achieve this.”
