Rustenburg – The women of Marikana, near Rustenburg in North West, are mourning instead of celebrating Women’s Day, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said on Sunday.
“The women of this part of the world were subjected to the most painful experience of losing their only source of hope for a meal at the end of the day; these women are now widows,” he told a Women’s Day gathering in Marikana.
Ordinarily, these women would have celebrated the gains women had made against apartheid laws.
“Instead, they are preparing to mourn the death of their loved ones at the hands of a democratic government,” Holomisa said.
The children of mineworkers could not celebrate with their mothers because they were orphans.
“These children can no longer enjoy a full family life with a mother and father,” he said.
Thirty-four people, mostly mineworkers, were killed in a clash with police on August 16, 2012, during a violent wage-related strike at Lonmin’s platinum mine in Marikana.
In the preceding week, ten other people, including two police officers and two Lonmin security guards, died in the unrest.
Holomisa said the UDM had written to President Jacob Zuma to request compensation for the families of the dead mineworkers, to ensure they had food to eat and uniforms for the children to go to school.
Women in rural areas were still subjected to poverty and poor education, and young girls under the age of 18 were still being forced into marriage, he said.
About 600 UDM supporters braved the scorching sun to listen to Holomisa on Sunday.
He urged them to support the UDM’s election campaign in January next year ahead of the municipal election.
ANA