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As is becoming increasingly clear, beyond the immediate tragedy and trauma of the violent events from 10-16 August, there are other continuing forms of suffering in Marikana associated with the ongoing strike, including crises of access to food, healthcare and access to schools for children. This crisis is affecting the entire community and surrounding areas. These hardships have been exacerbated by the actions of the police over the weekend.

To show human solidarity with the crisis and to try to highlight the urgent steps that need to be taken and the humanitarian relief that needs to be brought to the area, a group of civil society leaders – including lawyers, academics, NGOs and faith leaders – will be visiting the Marikana community at midday on Tuesday 18 September.

The delegation will walk to Wonderkop and the meet with striking workers and the community in order to hear and discuss what relief is needed and to assess the communities’ needs for food, medical attention and legal services.

We welcome the statement by the Presidency issued on September 16th stating that:
“the law enforcement measures undertaken in Marikana are not in any way aimed at undermining the civil liberties of strikers and residents of the area.
The people of Marikana, including the strikers, are entitled to the rights of freedom of association, expression, assembly and association like all South Africans, as enshrined in the Constitution of the land.”
But we believe that the current police operation must be lawful in all respects, that there should be independent monitoring of police actions in the area and that it cannot be at the expense of fundamental human rights.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has an important responsibility to protect human rights in South Africa. As a result we haveformally requested the SAHRC to play a role to assist with finding solutions to the humanitarian crisis. The SAHRC is presently formulating it’s terms of reference which will inform its approach and actions to the incidents in Marikana. We also call on humanitarian organisations such as Gift of the Givers and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to provide emergency relief, whilst morelasting and sustainable measures to ensure access to health and food are put in place.

The crisis of Marikana is not a crisis of one community alone, it is a crisis for every community. Similarly in our response we must show oursolidarity with every community affected by starvation wages, inadequate services and violations of their rights to dignity and equality.

SECTION27
Socio-Economic Rights Institute
Students for Law and Rights
South African Human Rights Commission
Treatment Action Campaign
Laywers for Human Rights
South African Human Rights Commission
Amnesty International