Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party led by Julius Malema has said it will join Marikana workers this Thursday as they demonstrate outside Johannesburg High Court. Forty-four people‚ including 34 miners‚ were killed during a wage dispute at the Lonmin mine in Marikana in 2012. The South African government pledged to pay US$70 million to victims with a 2021 report suggesting the state paid in the region of R70 million to 35 families. The outstanding matters related to the more than 200 injured miners and members of the public. The claimants rejected the state’s offer of R500 000 per claimant. In a statement, seen by Pindula News, the EFF party said it will be announcing an action plan if the workers’ grievances have not been met. Reads the statement:
Wednesday 01 June 2022
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will join the workers of Marikana tomorrow (02 June 2022) in their demonstration outside the Johannesburg High Court where they will be attending to the civil case for damages against Cyril Ramaphosa in his personal capacity, and Sibanyoni Stillwater Mining Company.
With 10 years after the Marikana Massacre, the victims of the Massacre have still not been fully compensated by the South African government, which is led by the same bloodthirsty Ramaphosa who called the workers criminals for embarking on a wage strike and lobbied government Ministers to murder them.
Moreover, some of the victims have passed away while still waiting for compensation.
As such, the EFF will also be adding its voice to say enough is enough, and that the victims and the widows must be paid now by Ramaphosa and his capitalist friends in Sibanye. It must be noted that Sibanye bought Lonmin in which Ramaphosa probably still owns 18% via his so-called blind trusts.
Some of the relief sought in tomorrow’s court case include non-financial remedies such as asking Ramaphosa and Sibanye simply to offer an apology in the spirit of Ubuntu, which they are disgracefully refusing to do.
It is also tragic that the case takes place against the background of the current wage strike in which Ramaphosa and his Sibanye partners are refusing to pay the workers a mere R1000 increase while Sobanye CEO Neal Froneman has collected a salary of more than R300 million in a single year. The EFF calls on the Government, Ramaphosa, and Sibanye to drop their immoral defence of the indefensible and to pay the workers before the end of June 2022.
Failure to do so will result in the EFF announcing a Plan of Action before the 10th Anniversary of the Marikana Massacre on 16 August 2022.
Lastly, the EFF calls on all freedom-loving South Africans and other parties to join tomorrow’s Court Case in solidarity with victims of the massacre.
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