South African mining and labour unions have called for more action in putting in place measures aimed at reducing poverty of mineworkers and avoiding the recurrence of the 2012 Marikana shootings, after Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Thembisile Simelane said the Gauteng High Court was working on finalising constitutional damages related to the case.
On August 16, 2012 police opened fire on striking Lonmin mineworkers, killing 34. Ten others including mineworkers, security guards, and policemen were also killed a few days earlier when protests turned deadly, and as Lonmin employees pressed on for a R12 500 wage settlement.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa said “mine management refused to negotiate” with the striking workers culminating in the shootings. At the time, President Cyril Ramaphosa, was deputy president and board chairman of Lonmin while Jacob Zuma was the country’s president.
Simelane has described the killings as a “sombre chapter in our nation’s history that continues to resonate deeply”, and added that the government “remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing the claims arising” from the tragedy.
“To date, approximately R352 million has been disbursed in claims related to Marikana; beneficiaries include the families of the 34 mine workers who lost their lives, as well as the injured and arrested mine workers,” said the minister.
Simelane said that the government had made progress in resolving most aspects of the Marikana matter.
However, “constitutional damages, which are currently under consideration by the Gauteng High Court” are still outstanding.
“We remain committed to finalising this matter and ensuring that justice is served,” the minister said.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) on Friday called on the government to ensure that measures are put in place to avoid a recurrence of the 2012 Marikana shootings.
The labour movements are also pressing for improvement in wages for mineworkers to reduce poverty.
Zanele Sabela, spokesperson for Cosatu, said on Friday it was “inconceivable that a wage negotiation would result in the deaths of so many, leaving their families grief-stricken”, and destitute.
“Cosatu supports calls for a memorial to be erected at the koppie to honour the lives lost and those who survived, but critically to ensure such a tragedy never happens again,” said Sabela.
Cosatu has said that it welcomes the ANC’s renewed commitment to work with stakeholders including mining companies to transform the socio-economic conditions of communities such as Marikana. The union is also pushing for a policy to enforce corporate disclosures of the earnings of the highest paid employees as well as that of the lowest paid workers. This would be in line with the Companies Amendment Act.
Numsa charged that South African mineworkers were “still paid peanuts”, while they are “exposed to shocking working” conditions.
“We have experience as a union, where contract workers in the mining sector earn R7 000 per month with no benefits for doing the same work as permanent employees who earn a minimum R15 000 per month,” said Numsa.
It added that in 2023, as many as 55 mine workers were killed underground due to mine accidents, while a year earlier 49 mineworkers died at work although the union noted that there have been “some improvements in safety” standards.
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