Hard left leader Julius Malema says those in power want South Africans to forget the brutality of the Marikana massacre five years ago.
He says the killing of 34 striking platinum miners by police deserves to be commemorated as seriously as the 1960 Sharpeville massacre of black protestors by apartheid police.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema was addressing thousands at the fifth anniversary commemoration of the Marikana massacre.
That was when police shots cut down 34 striking miners after a week of violence that had claimed ten more lives.
Malema’s party colleague Advocate Dali Mpofu, who represented the miners families at the commission of inquiry following the massacre, says government has not yet compensated the families of the dead.
EFF MPs have contributed a million rand to help build houses for miners’ families at Marikana.
Malema says further contributions will be made.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa remains at the centre of the tragedy.
As a shareholder of the Lonmin Platinum Mine that employed the strikers he called for police action at the time to end the work stoppage.
He has subsequently apologized for making this request.
Nevertheless the general secretary of the miners’ union AMCU Joseph Mathunjwa said Ramaphosa was not welcome at the commemoration ceremony.
Ramaphosa who is challenging for the leadership of the ruling African National Congress at its elective conference later this year, was a Marikana yesterday . He went to visit widows of the slain strikers.