I don't even want to mention how these people died while striking for better salaries, in this recession who would appreciate earning R1 000.00 a month, can you imagine being a bread winner and yet earning that kind of money? What can you buy with such a small salary? The government seems to undermine the most important workers regarding the wealth of the country, yet these people work in dangerous conditions, earn close to nothing not forgetting thier residential places... when will things change? When will illiterate people get the same respect, treatment and resources as the rich and well connected people?
On the 16th of June 1976, students were fighting for thier education, so was the employees who died in Marikana, the police have the responsibility to protect, keep safe, enforce the law and arrest all those who commit crime, do they do that? NO! They rape women, hit men and now? Now they killed people, thirty four innocent people, just like the police in 1976. those people had the right to life and the police did not have the right to take those lives, just because they enforce the law it doesn't mean that they are above the law nor the people, and the did not even have the decency to apolise... We as South Africans. we need to stand up against police brutality, they abuse people way too much we need to take a stand. Yes they said there wasn't anything they could've done because these people were armed, don't COSATU and Municipal workers arm and damage property in the Joburg CBD? do they shoot and kill them? No, the pour water on them, so why kill these mine workers?
All the Head of police had to say was that the police had nothing else to do? Does she think she's God? did they give these people life just to take it away, just like that? South Africa has a long way to go, we need to take all the SAPS members back to school so they could remeber what it means to be in the SAPS, they think they own the country and they can do what they please with anyone, the massacre ruined the country's reputation, first it was the xenophobic attacks, now this this? this is not the democracy we vote for, that my forefathers fought for, it can't be!
They were parents, friends, brothers, lovers, workers and thier presence was important to people who knew them, not money in the world would replace them, no matter how expensive thier coffins may be or the amount of money that would be coughed up, every life is import and no one has the right to take thr life of another.
May the souls of the thirty four men rest in peace!
