Patron of the Marikana Renewal Programme, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba says the memory of the 2012 bloodshed in Marikana remains painful because it continues to raise unresolved issues that society still faces.
Speaking at the seventh Annual Marikana Commemoration Lecture to honour the 44 lives lost in August 2012, Archbishop Makgoba emphasised that the country’s search for ways to become more just, more compassionate, and more united, in the face of continued inequality.
“The memory of Marikana is painful for those left behind, and also for the rest of the country because it asks difficult questions. It asks, “have we done enough to ensure that suffering never happens again. have we done enough to restore dignity? Have we done enough to listen to the families, to workers, and to communities? Have we done enough to build trust where trust was broken? Have you done enough to make justice visible, not only in words, but in practical change? The fact that hope has emerged does not mean hardship has ended. It does not mean that we can rest.”
Sibanye-Stillwater CEO, Richard Stewart, says the company inherited responsibility for operations and the repairing of relations with the Marikana community from Lonmin when they took over in 2019.
“When we assumed the responsibility for the Marikana operations in 2019, we knew we were inheriting far more than a mining asset. We were inheriting grief, mistrust, and unfinished conversations. but we were also inheriting an opportunity-an opportunity to build a different future. now, the philosophy underpinning Letsema, which means working together, is simple, but is profound: honour, engage, create. Marikana, I dare say has taught us the no stakeholder in south Africa can solve the challenges alone. progress becomes possible when people choose partnership over division.”