President Zuma says Marikana tragedy highlights SA's social ills

Warning:

This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.

Read the article

President Jacob Zuma says the Marikana tragedy has highlighted the deepening levels of poverty, unemployment and inequality in the country and the frustrations that this generates.

Answering questions in parliament on Thursday, president Zuma said government, labour, business, political parties and all stakeholders should work together to promote the adherence to the Constitution and laws of the land in dealing with labour disputes in the mining sector.

His official reply follows below:

We should work together as government, labour, business, political parties and all stakeholders to promote the adherence to the Constitution and laws of the land in dealing with labour disputes in the mining sector.

The worker demands for better wages can and should be addressed within the country's labour relations framework.

The illegal strikes, the incitement and intimidation will not assist workers. Instead, it will make them and the country worse off.

The Department of Labour and institutions under its control such as the CCMA stand ready to assist in mediating between the parties.

Government is also continuously engaging mining companies to assess the implementation of the provisions of the Mining Charter to improve living conditions of workers.

In terms of the Charter, companies are required to implement measures to improve the standard of housing and living conditions for mine workers.

They must convert or upgrade hostels into family units, ensure one person per room and facilitate home ownership options for mine workers by 2014.

We continue working with the sector to monitor progress through the Department of Mineral Resources.

Fortunately Honourable Members, we met recently at the social cohesion summit in Kliptown in Soweto.

We agreed at the summit that we must build a caring and proud society based on the values enshrined in our Constitution, together.

We must put our country first and defend South Africa from the opportunism that will set us back many years.