The commemoration of the 6th anniversary of the Marikana massacre in which security officers fired at and killed 34 mining workers involved in a strike action demanding better pay, has been preoccupied with politics.
What is being considered as the bloodiest security incident since the end of the apartheid era in South Africa, with an additional 10 people killed in during clashed leading to the shooting of August 15, 2012. Two police officers also died as a result of the violence.
On social media platforms, South Africans have frowned on the total lack of accountability and the government’s inability to show empathy to the victims’ families, six years after the bloody incident.
In an effort to save face, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party put out a statement, indicating the urgent need to implement recommendations made by the Farlam Commission. The statement reads ”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.”
An inquiry launched into the deadly violence, led by retired judge, Ian Farlam, faulted the Lonmin mining company, the workers’ unions and the police for what it called a ”horrendous tragedy” and went further to make a series of recommendations to rein in various parties it identified as culpable for the tragic incident.
The Farlam Commission came up with the following;
-Public order policing policies be revised, including benchmarking ”best practices” for crowd control.
-Opening a criminal investigation of the police officers involved in the incident.
-Found out Lonmin mining company did not use its best endeavors to resolve wage dispute with workers despite being the world’s fourth largest producer of platinum by market value.
Thus far, six police officers have been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection to the Marikana massacre, they were granted bail in March.
South African frustrated by the delay to administer justice for the victims of the Marikana massacre, took to social media to express their discontentment in the slow process.
Neba Benson,
BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst
