Johannesburg - The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the biggest union in South Africa’s platinum industry, on Tuesday called for a new commission of inquiry to be set up to find the “real perpetrators” of the Marikana Massacre.
Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa told journalists in Joburg the new commission would help get answers which the Farlam Commission, established by President Jacob Zuma, failed to do find.
The massacre, in which 44 people were killed in violent clashes during an illegal wage strike at Lonmin in mid-August 2012, has been described as the biggest use of lethal force by police on civilians since the Sharpeville killings.
“The Farlam Commission failed to find the real perpetrators of the massacre - those who gave the orders to the ones who pulled the triggers,” Mathunjwa said.
“We demand a commission, facilitated by a credible independent body, to get to the truth of who at the highest levels were responsible for the Marikana Massacre.”
He said the new commission should set out the processes and forms of compensation that could bring about a real and deep process of healing to Lonmin employees and their families.
Mathunjwa’s comments were in response to Zuma’s statement on Sunday during which he gave an update on steps taken to implement recommendations by the Farlam Commission to various government departments.
Zuma said Lonmin’s licence could likely be revoked it did not submit an adequate housing plan.
Mathunjwa said Zuma’s threat to revoke Lonmin’s mining right if it did not improve its obligations to improve the lives of its employees would not address working class issues.
“This threat is a knee jerk approach. Lonmin did not start in 2012 not to comply with its housing obligations. Before the massacre who was responsible for not enforcing compliance? I think this is politicking. How many mining houses are not complying with housing obligations?” he asked.
Read also: Lonmin housing dispute at boiling point in Marikana
Zuma had said on Sunday that Lonmin, the world’s third biggest platinum producer, had been slow in meeting its housing obligations.
“A compliant housing plan will be requested from Lonmin, failing which immediate action in the form of suspension or cancellation of the mining right will be taken,” he said.
Zuma revealed four police officers faced murder charges, while others faced attempted murder charges for the massacre.
Mathunjwa argued, however, that the decision to charge the police officers was in fact part of government’s plan to find a scapegoat in the form of police officers.
“The decision to break the strike of the heroic Lonmin workers could only have been taken at the highest level of the state.
“Bosses of Lonmin are not facing any accountability for their role in this massacre, when we know they urged the state to intervene, provided logistical support to the police and have failed to hold their managers and directors to account, compensate the victims and address the very causes of the strike, namely the struggle for a living wage and decent
living conditions for their workers,” he said.