Marikana widows are appealing to President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government to be remorseful and apologise for what happened to their husbands during the massacre ten years ago.
Thirty-four striking Lonmin Platinum mine workers were shot dead by police and many others were wounded during an unprotected strike.
Zameka Nungu, who lost her husband, says after the tragedy families have never been the same and the events of that day still haunts them.
Meanwhile, some victims’ families and survivors have found consolation through settlements by the state.
Progress on Marikana litigations:
Nungu says the 16th of August must be declared a holiday.
“We are asking the government to declare the 16th of August a holiday. Many people died on this day. It’s been a decade after the incident but the government has never apologised for what happened in Marikina, where the government and the police shot our husbands.”
“The government must come see our condition with our children who are without their fathers. The government doesn’t care about us in Marikana. They are in these positions through our votes and our husbands whom they killed. We are appealing to our President to come to us and apologise for what happened. The situation is difficult in Marikana,” explains Nungu.
On Wednesday, the Bench Marks Foundation undertook an inspection of some areas in the Marikana region.
Foundation chair Bishop Jo Seoka and a number of civil society activists joined the community to explore the issues that continue to plague the mining area 10 years since the massacre.
