DEPUTY President Cyril Ramaphosa’s apology about events at the Marikana Massacre where 34 miners were shot dead by police was a strategy to campaign for the ANC presidency in the ANC December elective conference.
This was said by Cope national spokesman Dennis Bloem in a statement following Ramaphosa telling a crowd in Grahamstown he would take struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela Mandela’s advice and go and apologise to the people of Marikana. Ramaphosa was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Marikana Commission of Inquiry.
“We assess Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s apology as nothing but a strategy to campaign for the ANC’s presidency and the country. Ramaphosa can’t expect the people of this country to believe that his apology is sincere with no hidden agendas,” Bloem said. If Ramaphosa meant well, he asked, why did he wait until now. He said the party could not accept the apology and forget until justice was served for the 34 mineworkers brutally killed by the police in Marikana.
“Responding to what Ramaphosa said on Sunday at Rhodes University that he apologised for the inappropriate language he used during the period, the Congress of the People says Ramaphosa understood that the language wasn’t appropriate but he didn’t care about the affected families and the country, he only cared about shielding his shares because he was a Lonmin shareholder at the time.”
Bloem said Ramaphosa could not just think his apology would fix the pain and suffering created. He said the bad language he used was the true reflection of him (Ramaphos) and it came from his heart. “If Ramaphosa means well by apologising, he must start by making sure that he assist the affected families get the compensation they are still waiting for because they are still seeking for justice,” Bloem said.
Ramaphosa must also be reminded, Bloem said, forgiveness is voluntarily not commanded, “it is up to the South Africans and the bleeding Marikana families to forgive, not him to ask for it.”
