The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says President Cyril Ramaphosa definitely has a case to answer in the Marikana massacre.
Last week, the Johannesburg High Court upheld the President’s exception that emails and telephone calls made to politicians to pressurise them to take action against the striking Lonmin miners constituted neither incitement nor wrongful conduct.
The miners contended that the email correspondence between Ramaphosa and other key role players allegedly sparked the violence which would lead to the events of that fateful day in August 2012.
Over 300 miners launched a class action lawsuit against Lonmin which Sibanye Stillwater has since acquired, Ramaphosa and government.
Forty-four miners died in the North West township during a strike to demand a R12 500 monthly salary while many others were wounded.
The party’s spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys says, “Ramaphosa does have a case to answer as the alleged mastermind of what is a very toxic colluding between the ANC government and Lonmin Mine. This is what resulted in the massacre of workers in Marikana.”
“It’s now 10 years since the Marikana massacre. This trial is long overdue for Ramaphosa to be exposed for his toxic role in the gunning down of mineworkers. So that there can be justice for the victims of the massacre. It is also tragic that Ramaphosa refuses to apologise for his evil deeds which he perpetrated purely for his greed of money,” adds Mathys.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has welcomed the court judgment.
The President’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says, “Disturbing is the ongoing politicisation leading to the unfair targeting and isolation of responsibility to the President. Others have sought to create a false [impression] that President Ramaphosa bears liability for the killings.”
“In having applied his mind to the judgment, President Ramaphosa welcomes the judgment of the high court which held that the plaintiffs’ particulars of claim were legally flawed in a series of respects,” adds Magwenya.
