Government says it has, since the conclusion of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry, made “great progress” in implementing the inquiry’s recommendations, among which has been to ensure that the South African Police Service strengthens its public order policing capacity.
A statement issued by the Government Communication System on Friday noted that 3 825 members from Public Order Policing have participated in basic training in crowd management.
The statement also pointed out that all criminal matters related to the Marikana tragedy were now before the courts.
Following the Marikana tragedy in August 2012, government has paid R67-million to legal representatives of the families in the finalised cases. However, with regard to compensation for general damages, discussions between government and representatives of the affected families were still taking place and would be concluded in due course.
The Department of Human Settlements (DHS) had also launched a R700-million housing project at Marikana and, to date, 544 housing units have been completed.
Additionally, in the 2018/19 financial year, the DHS has focused on interventions in informal settlement upgrading, land use management, extension and sharing of bulk infrastructure to support basic service provision, as well as increasing home ownership and rental housing opportunities.
Government and mining companies in the Madibeng region are also engaged in private–public partnerships for sharing bulk and reticulation infrastructure in order to deliver basic services such as water and sanitation to mine communities, including Marikana.
The Presidency is also finalising consultations with all stakeholders, including trade unions, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union and the National Union of Mineworkers, on an appropriate time and date for President Cyril Ramaphosa to assess the implementation of the recommendations of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry.
“Government, working together with all our partners, including business and labour, will ensure that the values that underpin our democracy such as respect for human rights and the right to life are adhered to,” the statement said.