President Jacob Zuma released the findings of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry on Thursday night. According to the report, the blame for the August 2012 tragedy lies largely with the South African Police Services. But many people were disappointed by what Zuma revealed about the #MarikanaReport. AAISHA DADI PATEL rounds up reaction from the Twitterverse.
Before the live broadcast of Zuma’s presentation of the report even began some people, including Dali Mpofu, the lawyer who represented the miners at the commission, had doubts about whether it would be broadcast at all.
WARNING:The Eskom War Room will probably arrange Nationwide loadshedding at 19h00 today.
— Dali Mpofu (@AdvDali_Mpofu) June 25, 2015
And when it was finally aired, Daily Maverick journalist Ranjeni Munusamy summed up the general reaction:
F%^&* — Ranjeni Munusamy (@RanjeniM) June 25, 2015
Political analyst Ebrahim Fakir questioned how ministers and other executives had been found to be exempt from any blame.
Why is every problem in South Africa the fault of *officials* , *functionaries* & operations but NEVER the executive leaders & supervisors?
— Ebrahim Fakir (@EbrahimFakir) June 25, 2015
So…so far,every1 appears to guilty for the #MarikanaMassacre -Lonmin,AMCU,NUM-but NOT Ramaphosa,Mthetwa,Shabangu or any 1 in Government — Ebrahim Fakir (@EbrahimFakir) June 25, 2015
Tweeps were calling it a whitewash – a censored and biased cover-up.
Does anybody else get the feeling they’ve misspelled #MarikanaReport – shouldn’t it read whitewash?
— Nickolaus Bauer (@NickolausBauer) June 25, 2015
I wasn’t expecting much, but that was even more of a whitewash than I expected. The struggle for justice continues. #MarikanaReport — Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh (@SizweMW) June 25, 2015
And it was pointed out that national police commissioner Riah Phiyega, who the report implied is unfit for her role, was appointed by the president to begin with.
#MarikinaReport Remember JZ could have appointed Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi (sp?) the career cop who was doing a decent job as commissioner.
— Ferial Haffajee (@ferialhaffajee) June 25, 2015
Most damaging finding by Farlam: wrong, deadly decisions by SAPS not made by police on ground, but by Phiyega & her management. #Marikana — Adriaan Basson (@AdriaanBasson) June 25, 2015
When sensible people knew Riah wasn’t fit to hold office? When she said: “You don’t have to be a drunkard to run a bottle store.”
— Ms Kay (@kaysexwale) June 25, 2015
#MarikanaReport General Phiyega should step down following the findings which clearly show that she messed up. — Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) June 25, 2015
City Press editor Ferial Haffajee lamented what this meant for the country’s impressions of powerful women.
#MarikanaReport I get so sad when women in non-traditional leadership roles mess it up like Mbombo and Phiyega did. It feeds the prejudice.
— Ferial Haffajee (@ferialhaffajee) June 25, 2015
The frustrations with the report were very clear.
Why is the #MarikanaReport being reduced to political wins and losses? — Shaka Sisulu (@ShakaSisulu) June 25, 2015
Section 332 of the Criminal Procedure Act provides for the prosecution of companies. Lonmin must be charged. #MarikanaReport
— Sentletse (@Sentletse) June 25, 2015
The question is not who, but what, killed workers. The answer is not bullets. The media won’t ask this question, because it too is capital. — Brad Cibane (@Brad_Cibane) June 25, 2015
South Africans are not always good at remembering there is legal responsibility and political accountability and that the two not the same.
— Pierre de Vos (@pierredevos) June 25, 2015
But after all was said and done, the families of the victims are still no closer to closure.
Families and miners crowded round laptop trying to watch #marikanareport – no TV working. Total mess. pic.twitter.com/KSk0SJg610 — LaurenCliffordHolmes (@LaurenCHolmes) June 25, 2015
#MarikanaReport Strength to all the families of the 45 workers who were killed – will have to read the full report
— Zwelinzima Vavi (@Zwelinzima1) June 25, 2015
#MarikanaReport Wonder how Mary Langa is feeling tonight. Her husband Julius was killed on Aug 13 – stabbed 18 times — Bongiwe Khumalo (@Bongiwe_Khumalo) June 25, 2015
What happened to the “the people shall share in the country’s wealth” let’s not forget the Marikana miners were killed for higher wages.
— Tasneem Essop (@TazEssop14) June 26, 2015
