Pretoria - Miners at Marikana have demanded that August 16 be recognised as a public holiday in honour of their 34 comrades who were massacred three years ago.
“We demand for the day to be a public holiday because of how our comrades were murdered three years ago,” said Bob Ndude.
He is a representative of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).
Ndude said declaring the day a public holiday would be a befitting gesture to honour those who lost their lives on the bloody day in 2012.
“This happened during a democratic era. We celebrate holidays based on those that lost their lives during the apartheid era; it will only be fair if August 16 became a holiday as well,” Ndude said.
He was speaking to Independent Media ahead of Sunday’s third anniversary of the Marikana massacre.
Some of the people expected to be in attendance on Sunday include EFF leader Julius Malema, Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa, DA leader Mmusi Maimane, and UDM president Bantu Holomisa.
Mineworkers, mostly rock drillers downed tools over wage disputes with the mining company Lonmin. The protest was characterised by violence and intimidation.
A total of 44 people died during the protest amongst those were two security guards and two police officers.
Pretoria News