Ramaphosa’s apology for Marikana massacre is a farce, says Ntsebeza

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa had enough time to reveal the details of the August 15, 2012, Cabinet meeting that is understood to have led to the killing of striking Marikana mineworkers.

His recent apology for his role in the days leading up to the mass killing is only because he wants to bolster his political currency ahead of the ruling party’s elective conference at the end of the year.

This is according to the legal representative of families of the victims, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza.

The Sowetan reports that Ntsebeza told Soweto residents over the weekend during the Tsietsi Mashinini memorial lecture at Morris Isaacson High School that Ramaphosa’s “pitiable attempt” to apologise was a “thinly disguised political manoeuvre”.

Ntsebeza, a senior counsel, was previously a member of the Judicial Services Commission, and was removed from the position by Zuma earlier this year. He told those in attendance that Ramaphosa’s conduct could be understood within the prevalent culture of non-accountability.

READ MORE: Phiyega ‘misled’ inquiry on her role in Marikana massacre, must go – Claassen report

According to the publication, Ntsebeza questioned why Ramaphosa never visited the families of the fallen mineworkers, why not a single politician resigned, and why none of the police officers involved were ever charged.

Earlier this year Ramaphosa was accosted by a student at Rhodes University to express himself on the matter, and he offered an apology for his role in the matter. He later repeated his apology in parliament, telling MPs he received counsel from struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to do so.

The Marikana commission of inquiry, which ultimately recommended that action be taken against suspended police commissioner Riya Phiyega, was shown an email exchange between Ramaphosa and Lonmin’s chief commercial officer, Albert Jamieson, in which he described striking mineworkers as criminals.

“The terrible events that have unfolded cannot be described as a labour dispute. They are plainly dastardly criminal, and must be characterised as such … there needs to be concomitant action to address this situation.”

The judiciary was dragged into the matter when EFF MPs refused to withdraw their statement during several debates in parliament that Ramaphosa, who they constantly referred to as the ‘buffalo soldier’, “killed our people in Marikana”.

EFF leader Julius Malema was ejected from parliament and frogmarched out of the precinct for refusing to withdraw his comments. The court ruled against parliament in a matter brought to court against Malema by agreeing with his view that the statements were part of a political debate.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Ronnie Mamoepa, dismissed Ntsebeza’s remarks, and is quoted as having said: “The apology was borne out of the deep empathy for all the victims of the Marikana tragedy.”

Ramaphosa’s Marikana massacre ‘apology’ is disingenuous and dishonest

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