Marikana widows are appealing to President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government to repent and apologize for what happened to their husbands during the massacre a decade ago.
Thirty-four striking Lonmin Platinum mine workers were shot dead by police and many others were injured during the unprotected strike.
Zameka Nungu, who lost her husband, says the families have never been the same since the tragedy and the events of that day still haunt them.
Meanwhile, some victims’ families and survivors have found solace in the state’s settlement.
Marikana court proceedings:
Nungu says August 16 should be declared a holiday.
“We ask the government to declare August 16 as a day off. Many people died that day. Ten years have passed since the incident, but the government has never apologized for what happened in Marikina, where the government and the police shot dead our husbands.”
“The government should come to see our situation with our children who are left without parents. The government does not care about us in Marikana. They are in these positions because of our votes and our husbands whom they killed. We are asking our president to come to us and apologize for what happened. The situation in Marikana is difficult,” Nungu explains.
The Bench Marks Foundation carried out an inspection of some areas in the Marikana region on Wednesday.
Foundation chairman Bishop Joe Seoka and a number of civil society activists joined the community to explore the issues that continue to plague the mining area 10 years after the massacre.
