Malema said coming to Marikana was, among other things, meant to remind them of the atrocities “committed on this beautiful land and left them with an ugly scar”.
“It is painful that no-one has been held accountable. If anything, others were promoted to the highest office in the land. It is still painful and fresh in our minds,” he said.
In March, TimesLIVE reported how the case against 17 mineworkers accused of murder and other serious offences in the days leading up to the Marikana massacre in 2012 was on Friday provisionally removed from the court roll by the North West high court sitting in Mogwase, outside Rustenburg.
This was after an application made by the defence attorneys this week to have the matter struck off the roll pending the outcome of the review application they had registered with the high court in Pretoria to have all charges against the accused withdrawn.
The cases against a handful of high-ranking police officers implicated in the massacre is yet to be concluded.
Speaking at the party's rally in Marikana on Wednesday as part of the red berets' 10th birthday celebrations, the party president said the turnout at the rally was indicative of the government's failures, citing that unemployment was the reason so many people could gather on a weekday.
“We are equally here to atone for all the mistakes and shameful acts done and to ask for forgiveness. We appreciate all the awarding of gifts, we are blessed thus far by the departed,” he said.
The red berets slaughtered more than 15 cows and made traditional beer as a way of offering a sacrifice in Marikana to thank the originators of the party for all the blessings.
Malema said the cow has the power to connect the living to the departed and it is a medium through which a number of rituals are carried out in the African tradition.
“This ritual has to do with the living and the dead, childhood to adulthood, weddings, thanksgivings, weddings, burials — all symbolically bringing up the dead to oversee the current nation,” he said.
Malema said their Marikana ancestors offering and sacrifice is the proof that they are able to share with the people of this beautiful land.
“This is an enhancement of humanity perceived by most Africans. The cow, so intertwined with the people, is used in communicating with God and the departed who are asked to intercede for us. The cow is considered to have the power to have the attention of the deceased who supervised the welfare of the living,” he said.
The red berets leader said that after the slaughtering, he expected all ground forces of the party and its leaders to fear shame and have integrity, peace, compassion and life.
“Our people understand slaughtering as a means to connect the departed who are a conduit to our needs with the one who appeared first,” he said.
Malema said the departed would never reward a family in conflict with itself.
“The departed love a united family. The departed who were killed here want to see a united working class. Slaughtering is done to thank the departed for protecting people and are celebrated for endowing them with their seed,” he said.
Malema said they were in Marikana to observe their customs and not allow races or cultures to force them to abandon their customs or make them feel as though theirs is superior or has powers.
“The land we are on today is sacred land, nourished by the blood of a brave few who stood when standing meant a merciless death and execution. We stand here today in the shadow of this koppie and we are reminded that South Africa's democracy will always have a dark shadow of the Marikana massacre and no-one can ever escape it,” he said.
The EFF leader reflected how in August 2012 they watched as mineworkers, who he referred to as their brothers, sons and fathers, were “executed live on television, as a result of a toxic collusion between the state and Lonmin mines”.
“We thought it all came to an end when there was a shout by a white man telling black policemen to cease fire as revolutionaries laid lifeless with bullets filling their bodies — only to find out that our brothers who survived the first shooting were hunted down, killed and had weapons planted down next to them in an attempt to portray them as a violent threat,” he said.
Malema said the pain of that day remained with them and would never go away.
“The pain of that day gave birth to the EFF and that is why we are here today to free the hearts of the spirits that were killed on the 16th August 2012. We are here to tell our brothers that we miss them, and we will continue to love them. In their honour, we have slaughtered cows to free their spirits from the pain that visited them on that day,” he said.
Malema wished the fighters a happy birthday and said the July 26th movement was worth celebrating alongside the Cuban revolution.
TimesLIVE
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'Pain of our killed brothers remains': EFF marks 10 years in Marikana
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
EFF leader Julius Malema said he was pained that no-one had been held accountable for the Marikana massacre to date, saying his party would continue to commemorate the lives of those who died in the August 2012 tragedy.
A total of 44 people, including mineworkers, security staff and police officers, died in the wage-related unrest at the Lonmin mine in Marikana.
IN PICS | EFF marks 10th birthday with rally at Marikana
Malema said coming to Marikana was, among other things, meant to remind them of the atrocities “committed on this beautiful land and left them with an ugly scar”.
“It is painful that no-one has been held accountable. If anything, others were promoted to the highest office in the land. It is still painful and fresh in our minds,” he said.
In March, TimesLIVE reported how the case against 17 mineworkers accused of murder and other serious offences in the days leading up to the Marikana massacre in 2012 was on Friday provisionally removed from the court roll by the North West high court sitting in Mogwase, outside Rustenburg.
This was after an application made by the defence attorneys this week to have the matter struck off the roll pending the outcome of the review application they had registered with the high court in Pretoria to have all charges against the accused withdrawn.
The cases against a handful of high-ranking police officers implicated in the massacre is yet to be concluded.
Speaking at the party's rally in Marikana on Wednesday as part of the red berets' 10th birthday celebrations, the party president said the turnout at the rally was indicative of the government's failures, citing that unemployment was the reason so many people could gather on a weekday.
“We are equally here to atone for all the mistakes and shameful acts done and to ask for forgiveness. We appreciate all the awarding of gifts, we are blessed thus far by the departed,” he said.
The red berets slaughtered more than 15 cows and made traditional beer as a way of offering a sacrifice in Marikana to thank the originators of the party for all the blessings.
Malema said the cow has the power to connect the living to the departed and it is a medium through which a number of rituals are carried out in the African tradition.
“This ritual has to do with the living and the dead, childhood to adulthood, weddings, thanksgivings, weddings, burials — all symbolically bringing up the dead to oversee the current nation,” he said.
Malema said their Marikana ancestors offering and sacrifice is the proof that they are able to share with the people of this beautiful land.
“This is an enhancement of humanity perceived by most Africans. The cow, so intertwined with the people, is used in communicating with God and the departed who are asked to intercede for us. The cow is considered to have the power to have the attention of the deceased who supervised the welfare of the living,” he said.
The red berets leader said that after the slaughtering, he expected all ground forces of the party and its leaders to fear shame and have integrity, peace, compassion and life.
“Our people understand slaughtering as a means to connect the departed who are a conduit to our needs with the one who appeared first,” he said.
Malema said the departed would never reward a family in conflict with itself.
“The departed love a united family. The departed who were killed here want to see a united working class. Slaughtering is done to thank the departed for protecting people and are celebrated for endowing them with their seed,” he said.
Malema said they were in Marikana to observe their customs and not allow races or cultures to force them to abandon their customs or make them feel as though theirs is superior or has powers.
“The land we are on today is sacred land, nourished by the blood of a brave few who stood when standing meant a merciless death and execution. We stand here today in the shadow of this koppie and we are reminded that South Africa's democracy will always have a dark shadow of the Marikana massacre and no-one can ever escape it,” he said.
The EFF leader reflected how in August 2012 they watched as mineworkers, who he referred to as their brothers, sons and fathers, were “executed live on television, as a result of a toxic collusion between the state and Lonmin mines”.
“We thought it all came to an end when there was a shout by a white man telling black policemen to cease fire as revolutionaries laid lifeless with bullets filling their bodies — only to find out that our brothers who survived the first shooting were hunted down, killed and had weapons planted down next to them in an attempt to portray them as a violent threat,” he said.
Malema said the pain of that day remained with them and would never go away.
“The pain of that day gave birth to the EFF and that is why we are here today to free the hearts of the spirits that were killed on the 16th August 2012. We are here to tell our brothers that we miss them, and we will continue to love them. In their honour, we have slaughtered cows to free their spirits from the pain that visited them on that day,” he said.
Malema wished the fighters a happy birthday and said the July 26th movement was worth celebrating alongside the Cuban revolution.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to TimesLIVE Premium. Just R20 for the first month.
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