'I came here to salute those Marikana heroes who fought for us'

Bonga Mavokwana was only 13 when the Marikana massacre happened.

On Tuesday, the 23-year-old was among hundreds of people who arrived as early as 8am at the koppie in Marikana, North West, to commemorate the 10th anniversary.

“I read about people like Mambush (Mgcineni Noki). I came here to salute those heroes who fought for us,” said Mvokwana.

Dressed in green Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) T-shirts, miners were dancing and chanting Struggle songs around the koppie yesterday. Some were riding horses. 

The commemoration, organised by Amcu, remembers the lives of 34 Lonmin (now Sibanye-Stillwater) mineworkers who were shot dead on August 16 2012. 

Another attendee, Zenzele Zulu, 57, said: “We are here to remember our brothers who died. Those people worked with us. What happened to them is painful.”

Herman Masango, 42, said he came to support families of the deceased. 

“I came here to commemorate the fallen heroes. I sacrificed one day of work to show the families of the people who died that we are here to support them,” said Masongo. 

Poet Mzwakhe Mbuli attended the event and rendered a poem in commemoration of the slain mineworkers. 

Despite earning between R12,000 and R14,000, with the last increase implemented last year, some workers still demand more and have cited the rising cost of living as a reason for demanding better pay. 

Alakhe Matshata, 40, has been working at Sibanye for 15 years, and says her salary is not enough to take care of her family.

Matshata works as a general worker and lives in Marikana with her unemployed husband and two children aged six and four.

She earns roughly R12,000, a substantial increase from her salary of  R8,000.

From her salary, she pays a car instalment, buys food and pays school fees for her children.

Matshata had a stall where she sold fruit, fat cakes, sweets, biscuits and cold drinks at the event. 

“I do not earn a lot of money. I have a lot of expenses. Things are expensive nowadays. This business boosts us. I came here to sell so that I can make a lot of money,” said Matshata.

With the money she makes from selling, she buys extra food.

“If it happens that I run out of tomatoes at home, I know that I can use money from my business to buy more.”

High-profile figures such as advocate Dali Mpofu, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa and OneSA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane were in attendance. 

Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa delivered the keynote address.

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