Marikana compensation amounts not yet quantified

A lawyer representing wounded and arrested Marikana mine workers has not been formally approached by the government about a compensation offer, despite the state saying last week it had set aside R1.17bn for such a process. Business Day quotes attorney Andries Nkome as saying it was unfortunate that each time they had learnt about the government’s intentions regarding compensation, it was through the media. Representatives for the affected mine workers were still quantifying the amount owed to victims, he said. Nkome said that, according to their estimates, the amount needed to help those who sustained injuries during the deadly 2012 strike was higher than initially predicted. The report says Police Minister Nathi Nhleko told Parliament last week that the R1.17bn set aside for compensation would be given to a ‘certain number of individuals (for) loss of support, injuries and, of course, fatalities’. The amount will cover 652 claims made by families who lost relatives, miners who were injured and those who were unlawfully arrested after police broke up the unprotected strike at Lonmin’s Marikana mine.