By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Founder of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman has called on South Africans, including those directly affected by the Marikana tragedy, to remember the struggle in South Africa for dignity.
Sooliman said this during the 4th Annual Marikana Memorial Lecture on Monday, ahead of the 11th anniversary of the Marikana tragedy.
The event aimed to reflect on the process of renewal, engagement, and commitment, with a focus on investing in sustainable operations, communities, and people.
He added that it is time to build the country, build social cohesion and bring people together.
On 16 August 2012, the South African Police Service (SAPS) opened fire on a crowd of striking mineworkers in Marikana, in the North West, killing 34 people.
“As a country, we have learnt from the Marikana tragedy,” Sooliman said, adding that it was not time to live in the past, but to reflect on the past.
He said his organisation was determined to double food parcels to the people of Marikana.
The then President, Jacob Zuma, announced the establishment of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry, in terms of section 84(2)(F) of the Constitution.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said the Marikana tragedy was a painful chapter in the country’s history that brought immense sorrow, challenges and anguish to countless families whose loved ones paid the ultimate price.
“As we remember the fallen, we cannot but be moved by the harrowing journey the families of the victims had to endure on that fateful day,” he said.
Makgoba emphasised the importance of providing a supporting shoulder to the families of the victims of the Marikana tragedy.
Amina Fundi, a beneficiary of the 1608 Memorial Trust and a member of the youth task team, shared her reflections on the past decade. She recounted the loss of her father in the line of duty, which left her family fractured and grappling with financial, emotional, and mental challenges. The tragedy brought Fundi closer to her mother, fostering a deep bond.
The 1608 Memorial Trust is an educational trust which funds the educational needs of the dependants of those who died in the Marikana tragedy.
Fundi highlighted the power of the mind as a valuable asset, noting how focused thoughts can shape one’s reality.
Diversified mining and metals processing company Sibanye-Stillwater, which acquired the Marikana mine from Lonmin in 2019 and has held the commemoration each year since, highlighted some of the work it and its partners were doing to help those affected by the strike.
“Since the acquisition, in addition to the critical need to ensure the viability and sustainability of the operations to ensure they continued to benefit all the stakeholders in the region, we have significantly focused on dealing with the legacy of the most hurtful, damaging and terrible events of August 2012 by playing our part in bringing healing as far as possible,” said Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman.