Marikana Massacre: Joseph Mathunjwa Calls Out “Fake Democracy” and Demands Accountability from President Ramaphosa

South Africa marks the 12th anniversary of the Marikana massacre today, a dark chapter in the nation's history where 34 striking Lonmin mineworkers were killed, and 78 were injured in a police crackdown on August 16, 2012. The tragedy, which unfolded near the Lonmin mine in Marikana, North West, saw heavily armed police opening fire on protesting miners, sparking outrage both locally and internationally. In the lead-up to the massacre, tensions were already high, with 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, having lost their lives during the protests. The miners were striking for better wages and working conditions, demands that tragically culminated in one of the bloodiest confrontations in post-apartheid South Africa. Joseph Mathunjwa, the president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), has not minced words in his condemnation of the government’s role in the massacre. In a recent interview with Newzroom Afrika, Mathunjwa harshly criticized the state, accusing it of siding with the mine owners at the expense of the workers. "This could not have happened in a democratic state," Mathunjwa declared, drawing a stark comparison between the Marikana massacre and the Sharpeville massacre of 1960, a pivotal event under the apartheid regime. "This is worse than Sharpeville because at Sharpeville, it was the Nationalist Party and apartheid government. This was our government that we put in power, killing its own people, protecting resources that are foreign-owned." Mathunjwa went on to lambast the government for its failure to uplift the working conditions of miners, even after decades of democracy. "Eighteen years into democracy, those workers were still earning R3,000 or R4,000 working underground under harsh conditions – 40 degrees Celsius, living in squalor, in shacks and in 18 years this government had not changed anything. Now we are 30 years into this fake democracy led by the fake revolutionaries." One of the central figures implicated in the events surrounding the Marikana massacre is President Cyril Ramaphosa, who at the time was a member of the African National Congress’ (ANC) national executive committee, a Lonmin shareholder, and a non-executive board member. Mathunjwa has repeatedly called for Ramaphosa to be held accountable for his actions, particularly in light of the controversial email he sent on August 15, 2012, just a day before the massacre. In this email, Ramaphosa condemned the miners' actions as criminal and called for "concomitant action" to be taken. During the 2012 commission of inquiry into the massacre, chaired by retired judge Ian Farlam, Advocate Dali Mpofu, representing the injured and arrested miners, highlighted this email as a critical piece of evidence. Mpofu argued that Ramaphosa’s characterization of the protests as criminal acts directly influenced the police’s response. However, Judge Farlam ultimately cleared Ramaphosa of responsibility for the police’s actions during the massacre. Despite this, Mathunjwa insists that Ramaphosa remains a key figure in the tragedy and continues to demand that the president be held to account. "The president is very relevant, he is the main actor in this massacre. Phone him. Call him, he is the main actor," Mathunjwa urged. The Marikana massacre remains a painful reminder of the inequalities and injustices that persist in South Africa. While the state has paid out more than R300-million in compensation to the victims' families by 2023, Mathunjwa argues that true justice has yet to be served. "Having a monument is one thing, but I think justice is far more important. Yes, you can have a monument (for the killed mineworkers), but at the end of the day, to have a monument without justice being served … I think as South Africans we are quick to forget. The killing of these workers was a wake-up call to all of us as South Africans that it’s not yet Uhuru." As the nation reflects on this tragedy, the words of Mathunjwa resonate as a call to action, reminding South Africans that the fight for true democracy and justice is far from over.

Marikana Massacre: Joseph Mathunjwa Calls Out “Fake Democracy” and Demands Accountability from President Ramaphosa

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