Parliament must set up inquiry on Marikana massacre‚ says COPE

Congress of the People wants Parliament’s police portfolio committee to establish an inquiry into Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s involvement in the Marikana massacre in which 34 miners were killed.

This follows Parliament’s receipt of the Claassen Commission of Inquiry’s report on suspended national police commissioner Riah Phiyega’s fitness to hold office. “COPE wants to reiterate its position: we don't believe it is fair to make Phiyega shoulder all the blames for what happened at Marikana‚” said COPE spokesman Dennis Bloem. He said it was clear that the government wanted to make Phiyega the scapegoat and use her to cover up for senior leaders in government.

“Nathi Mthethwa was the political head of the police at the time and he cannot tell us that he did not communicate with his national commissioner in that volatile situation where the entire country held its breath. “The involvement of Mr Ramaphosa who was then the non-executive member of the Lonmin Board cannot be disputed. “In one of the emails to the Lonmin Chief Commercial Officer Albert Jamieson‚ he wrote: ‘They are plainly dastardly criminals and must be characterised as such.’ In another message to Jamieson at midday that Wednesday Ramaphosa wrote ‘in line with this there needs to be concomitant action to address this situation’‚” Bloem asserted.

He said Mthethwa must tell the country who gave the national commissioner the instructions to use live ammunition and to order hearses to the koppie. “COPE believes that it will be highly criminal that Phiyega alone takes the responsibility of the massacre. Nathi Mthethwa and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa must also take responsibility.

“We believe that if Phiyega is declared unfit‚ then Mthethwa and Ramaphosa must not only be declared unfit but must be charged for the Marikana massacre.

“COPE will not rest until we know the truth. We believe that one way of getting to the truth is through parliamentary inquiry. We need to get to the bottom of Mthethwa and Ramaphosa’s involvement‚” Bloem added.