Lonmin’s Wall of Shame

the Marikana Massacre

On August 16th 2012, 34 mineworkers on strike for a living wage were shot dead by the police in two massacres at Marikana platinum mine in South Africa, owned by a British mining company called Lonmin. Another 78 miners suffered life-changing injuries.

10 years later, Lonmin has sold the mine to Sibanye-Stillwater, and one of its major shareholders has become the President of South Africa.

While more than 270 mineworkers were arrested and incarcerated in the aftermath of the Massacre, the Farlam Commission largely exonerated the political and corporate actors located at the centre of the crime scene.

In solidarity with the ongoing struggles for justice and reparations in Marikana, it is critical to re-examine Lonmin’s role in South Africa’s deadliest incident of state violence since the end of apartheid.