Socio-Economic Rights Still Eluding Marikana Communities
Channel: SACSIS
Date: 2013-05-08

Ten months after the massacre in Marikana where 34 striking mine workers were killed. The Commission of inquiry, the Marikana Commission, commonly known as the Farlam Commission, after its lead commissioner, continues to focus on the police shootings, which resulted in the deaths of the miners. However, Fazila Farouk, executive director of The South African Civil Society Information Service (www.sacsis.org.za), speaks to John Capel, executive director of the Bench Marks Foundation that has hired advocate George Bizos to represent it at the Farlam Commission to broaden the terms of the inquiry to include the socio-economic impact of mining Marikana.

According to Capel, the mining companies have caused huge hardship and suffering for the communities of Rustenberg/Marikana due to environmental degradation and the violation of human rights.