As the country commemorates the 12th anniversary of the Marikana Massacre, miners in the town of Marikana near Rustenburg, North West, continue to face appalling living conditions.
The tragic incident on that fateful day saw the police gunning down 34 Lonmin platinum mineworkers at the infamous Koppie. Leading up to the massacre, another 10 people, including mineworkers, police officers, and security guards, lost their lives.
Despite the passage of time and the national significance of the Marikana Massacre, local mineworkers report little improvement in their living conditions.
Upon arriving at the Marikana Koppie, one mineworker expressed his discontent by stating, “In terms of basic services such as water, electricity, and sanitation, we are still struggling, and nothing has changed.
“The situation is still bad. They are now trying to improve our roads.” This testimony confirms the ongoing plight faced by the mineworkers and their communities.
While there are attempts to improve the road infrastructure within Marikana, these efforts fall short of addressing the fundamental needs of its residents.
The slow progress and minimal changes highlight the severe neglect and challenges in the area. Mineworkers struggle with access to clean water, reliable electricity, and adequate sanitation.
Today marks the 12th anniversary of the Marikana massacre in which police gunned down 34 mineworkers at the Lonmin platinum mine near Rustenburg, North West. https://t.co/4u0SH9U1oQ #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/B3SlxpCo4c
— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 16, 2024
AMCU: Trade union – the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) says it will continue to fight for improved wages for mineworkers. The deputy president Manyathi Phuthuma says, “Over the past 12 years we have managed to push as AMCU on average the increase on the basic wage.
“We have managed to push it at least to a point where there has never been an increase of less than a thousand and that has managed to push them over the past 12 years because if you take that R4 000 together with the 12 years increase of R1000 increase every year, they’re now sitting the minimum for the lowest paid employee is sitting on R16 000 on basic, excluding other benefits.”
Compensation: Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Thembi Nkadimeng says R352 million has been disbursed in claims related to Marikana.
Briefing the media in Pretoria to outline her department’s priorities and address issues of concern to the public, Nkadimeng says, “This reflects our ongoing effort as the department to ensure that those affected receive the compensation that are due.
“The beneficiaries include families of the 34 mine workers who lost their lives, as well as the injured and the arrested mineworkers. each case has been assessed individually to ensure that the compensation aligns with the legal framework in the directive that was given by the court.”
