Marikana – The community of Mmadithlokwa and the surrounding areas in Marikana, in the North West, say they will forever be grateful to government’s assistance during their difficult times.
This after the Department of Social Development and its partners had moved in the area assisting the locals with food parcels during the five-month strike at the nearby Lonmin mine.
The strike has left many families, particularly women and children, in extreme poverty.
Madibogo Taunyane, 36, an unemployed mother of three residing in Marikana, told SAnews, on Sunday, that she will forever be grateful to government because of the support she has been getting during the strike.
“I don’t how I was going to survive if it wasn’t for government,” she said. Taunyane’s husband was affected by the strike and as a result there was no income in the family.
Joseph Masha, a father of three small children, an employee at a mine, was also affected by the strike.
“I’m grateful to government for the support they have been offering to us. Things were really difficult,” he said, adding that he wished government could do the same for other communities.
To date, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has spent more than R6 million in Marikana providing social relief to the affected families.
Speaking in Marikana earlier today, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said government will continue to assist families who are in distress.
She called on local communities to assist government identifying distressed or poor families in their communities, adding that they were there to ensure a better life for all.
“As government we are there to ensure that people live a better life. We are also here to ensure social cohesion.
“Many things have happened here, we are here to provide families with the necessary support and assistance. There needs to be healing in this area,” Minister Dlamini said.
Social Development Deputy Minister Henrietta Bogapane-Zulu also encouraged parents to register their children for child support grants.
“We are here to improve your lives. We also want to take care of all the orphans,” she said.
She echoed Minister Dlamini’s sentiments, calling on communities to assist government by identifying poor households. “Help us to identify those that are in need,” she said.
Minister Dlamini visited Marikana to assess the needs of families affected by the strike with the aim to continue providing humanitarian aid.
In his State of the Nation Address earlier this month, President Jacob Zuma announced the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on the Revitalisation of Distressed Mining Communities, led by the Presidency.
The role of the IMC is to improve the living conditions of mining communities.
Five-month strike ends
The five-month strike came to end, on Tuesday, with workers resuming their duties on Wednesday.
The president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), Joseph Mathunjwa, on Monday, said a wage deal and “the bulk” of the workers’ demands had been accepted by the mining companies involved.
Amcu accepted a wage settlement that would increase the salary of the lowest paid worker by R1 000 over three years.
Salaries are set to increase by R1 000 in the first two years and in the third year, they will increase by R950.
The salary of officials and artisans would increase by 8% in the first year and by 7.5% in the second and third year.
While the living-out allowance will not be increased over the three-year period, other benefits will increase annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Amcu members at Lonmin, Impala Platinum and Anglo American Platinum went on strike on 23 January, demanding a monthly basic salary of R12 500. – SAnews.gov.za
