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Ramaphosa committed to visiting Marikana: Mokonyane

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President Cyril Ramaphosa is committed to visiting Marikana where police gunned down 34 people on this day six years ago. Ten other people were killed in the period preceding the massacre.

Ramaphosa made the commitment earlier this year in Parliament.

Some political parties have pointed fingers at Ramaphosa because of the e-mail he sent during the strike when he was a non executive director at Lonmin Platinum mine in 2012.

Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane says Ramaphosa’s visit’s to Marikana is aimed at ensuring closure for all those that the massacre has affected.

“He himself, His Excellency President Ramaphosa has made that commitment and we are all working on it understanding also the pain, understanding also the concerns, so that once that happens it must be something that brings closure in terms of a stand off between government, the affected families, the affected trade union movement in the area and most importantly all South Africans.”

Widows of Marikana tragedy march for compensation

Ex-mine employees and widows of former mineworkers, have marched from Kaizergracht to Parliament to demand compensation.

Singing and chanting and waving placards outside the Parliamentary precinct, the ex-miners and their families are unfazed by the cold and wet weather conditions.

They have accused the present democratic government of thriving on exploitation of workers in collusion with big businesses.

They demand the recognition from government of the claim of ex mineworkers on the more than R40-billion rand in the care and trust of the Financial Services Board.

Earlier, they observed a moment of silence in honor of their coworkers who died in the Marikana massacre outside Lonmin mine in 2012.

Watch video below:

 

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