AgangSA welcomes the South Gauteng High Court ruling that government pay the legal expenses of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry for the survivors and families of the victims of the Marikana killings in August last year.
AgangSA has always found it totally unacceptable that the victims and families of the dead were the ones being denied legal representation that is so critical to helping them establish the truth about what happened at Marikana – whereas the police who stand accused killing their loved ones had lawyers paid for by the state.
The decision of the court shows that the confidence of the public in the judiciary is not misplaced. As the age-old adage says, justice must not just be done but needs to be seen to be done.
We hope the government will act with humility and common sense by responding positively, instead of appealing the decision and further prolonging the anguish of the families. This matter should not have gone to court in the first place.
Moeketsi Mosola -Political Director