The violence, social division and contestations over socio-economic redistribution, characterised by the Marikana massacre, reminded society that mining has shaped the country’s political economy and macrosocial trends significantly since the 19th century.
e Marikana massacre, reminded society that mining has shaped the country’s political economy and macro-social trends significantly since the 19th century.
The 2012 massacre should be understood as a continuation of this historical trend, highlighting the connections between economic and political social justice in South Africa. However, our 2018 publication on the relationship between structural change, worker insurgency and shifting trade union strategies in mining amplified the following three major themes that point society towards salient lessons to be gleaned from Marikana.
Secondly, workplace labour market struggles cannot be separated from livelihood social reproduction challenges in mining communities. The ethnographic research conducted by Asanda Benya and Crispen Chinguno in the platinum belt illustrates that mineworkers’ livelihoods cannot be fully understood within the confines of workplaces or shop floors.