The families of 37 Marikana mineworkers killed in the violence at the North West mining area in August 2012 want President Jacob Zuma to release the findings of an inquiry into what happened during those volatile days – failing which‚ they have asked the inquiry’s judge to release the report.
The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) and Legal Resources Centre (LRC)‚ representing the families‚ said in a statement on Wednesday that it was not satisfied with Zuma’s statement during his budget vote speech in Parliament yesterday that he would release the report before the end of June.
“This has not been communicated to our clients‚ and a letter sent on their behalf on 31 March has received no response. The families consider the more than seven weeks since the report was handed to the President reasonable time to consider it‚ and have requested that the President release the report by 1 June 2015.
“Today we also wrote to Judge Ian Farlam on the families’ behalf requesting that‚ in the event that the President refuses to release the report by 1 June‚ he and his fellow Commissioners release the report.”
There was provision in the law for this‚ the groups said.
“Our clients are aware that the Commission has had the power to release the report to the public for more than five weeks. They accept that this has not occurred in order to allow the President a reasonable period of time to consider the report and prepare a response.
"However they believe this period has now expired and that there is no legitimate reason to delay publication any further. The families request that Judge Farlam make an undertaking that‚ should the President not release the report by 1 June‚ he will release it on 2 June‚ or provide reasons for refusing to do so.”
SERI and the LRC said of concern of the families is the risk that the dates on which their claims against the State prescribe will arrive before the report has been published. “This will obviously hamper them in pursuing these claims‚ and possibly lead to wasted time and costs in amending pleadings to take account of the contents of the report.”
Families of Marikana miners send Zuma a deadline
The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) and Legal Resources Centre (LRC)‚ representing the families‚ said in a statement on Wednesday that it was not satisfied with Zuma’s statement during his budget vote speech in Parliament yesterday that he would release the report before the end of June.
“This has not been communicated to our clients‚ and a letter sent on their behalf on 31 March has received no response. The families consider the more than seven weeks since the report was handed to the President reasonable time to consider it‚ and have requested that the President release the report by 1 June 2015.
“Today we also wrote to Judge Ian Farlam on the families’ behalf requesting that‚ in the event that the President refuses to release the report by 1 June‚ he and his fellow Commissioners release the report.”
There was provision in the law for this‚ the groups said.
“Our clients are aware that the Commission has had the power to release the report to the public for more than five weeks. They accept that this has not occurred in order to allow the President a reasonable period of time to consider the report and prepare a response.
"However they believe this period has now expired and that there is no legitimate reason to delay publication any further. The families request that Judge Farlam make an undertaking that‚ should the President not release the report by 1 June‚ he will release it on 2 June‚ or provide reasons for refusing to do so.”
SERI and the LRC said of concern of the families is the risk that the dates on which their claims against the State prescribe will arrive before the report has been published. “This will obviously hamper them in pursuing these claims‚ and possibly lead to wasted time and costs in amending pleadings to take account of the contents of the report.”
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