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Farlam Report : Omission of Inquiry

Forty-four peple were killed in Marikana in 2012 following a violent, unprotected strike at Lonmin mines. Ten people, including two policemen and two Lonmin security guards, were killed in the week leading up to August 16 when police shot dead 34 striking miners. President Jacob Zuma asked retired judge Ian Farlam to conduct an inquiry into the incident. Three years later the Commission had found, among others, that officials of Amcu had not exercised effective control over its members and supporters. Deputy President and former Lonmin director Cyril Ramaphosa and other members of the executive were let off the hook in the findings, but National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega is under scrutiny. A similar finding was made with regard to the former provincial police commissioner in the North West Lt-Gen Zukiswa Mbombo. Lawyer for the surviving workers Dali Mpofu had argued before the commission that Ramaphosa was the cause of the massacre, and that he should be held accountable. It had emerged in the days before the massacre that Ramaphosa had communicated with former mines minister Susan Shabangu calling for "concomitant action" against the strikers, describing them as "criminal". The inquiry also found that he executive including former police minister Nathi Mthethwa could not be held responsible for the tactical options employed by the police.

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