History as a system of wrongs - examining South Africa's Marikana tragedy in a temporal legal context
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Date
Authors
Buitendag, Nico
Coetzer, Neil
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Pretoria, Department of Political Sciences
Abstract
On 16 August 2012, striking miners in Marikana, South Africa were fired
upon by the South African Police Service, resulting in the death of 44
mineworkers. For many the incident has signalled a turning point for the
country. This paper suggests that rather than a turning point, the
tragedy at Marikana is perhaps only the newest instalment in a centurylong
cycle of industrial action and government violence in South Africa's
labour history. Marikana is thus not a turning point, but rather a restatement
of the ineffectiveness of law. The article then attempts a theoretical
analysis of these events, as well as the matter of whether Marikana is a
true event that brings about political and social change. Although many
consider Marikana a "founding myth" for a popular uprising in South
Africa, the article cautiously suggests that it is in fact just "business as
usual".
Description
Keywords
Death, Marikana, Striking miners, South African Police Service (SAPS)
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Buintendag, N & Coetzer, N 2015, 'History as a system of wrongs - examining South Africa's Marikana tragedy in a temporal legal context', Strategic review for Southern Africa, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 94-117.