Government to pay 48 outstanding Marikana litigations by end of August
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The Solicitor General’s office has confirmed that Government will pay the 48 outstanding Marikana litigations by the end of August this year.
Families of slain Marikana miners are suing the state and President Cyril Ramaphosa for a billion rand. They are also demanding an apology.
Last year about R200 million was paid to those affected by the Marikana massacre.
The Solicitor-General Fhedzisani Pandelani says the process of finalising the claims is underway.
“That which remains our focal point is the 48 matters that I’m referring to which ought to have started by the 9th of July until the end of August. Half of which I’m indicating, we have been able to reach a settlement. Half of which I’m indicating as we sit here, by the time that you get out of here 12 or 15 might have settled and the rest will have to undergo the process that is judicial management, mainly because the parties might not be able to reach each other in so far as settlement is concerned.”
Government to pay the 48 outstanding Marikana litigations by end of August:
Many are still in the dark about what happened to their members on that fateful day in August of 2012. Some 34 mineworkers died after being shot by the police during the strike. 10 others died during events leading up to the mass shooting.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development says 48 remaining matters are before the Deputy Judge President of the Pretoria High Court and the process of finalising the claims is underway.
The strike would later turn violent, with 44 lives lost.
The Marikana incident has forced the government to look at developing new policies that would tackle this in the future. This will also apply to service delivery protests that continue to flare up in the country’s townships across the country.-Additional reporting by Abongile Dumako
The Department of Correctional Services gives an update on progress made in terms of the Marikana litigations: