Floyd Shivambu, chairman of the Mayibuye Consultation and former EFF deputy president, has revived the Marikana tragedy debate, squarely blaming President Cyril Ramaphosa for the 2012 police killings.
Speaking at a Johannesburg political gathering, Shivambu asserted that Ramaphosa – then a Lonmin board member – actively pushed for police intervention during the deadly strike. “While Zuma was president, it was businessman Ramaphosa who lobbied for violent police action against miners,” Shivambu claimed.
The comments reference Ramaphosa’s controversial 2012 emails, made public during the Farlam Commission inquiry, where he described striking miners’ actions as “dastardly criminal” and called for state intervention. The incident culminated in police killing 34 mineworkers on August 16.
“Workers were killed in Marikana when President Jacob Zuma was the president of the state and government and Cyril Ramaphosa was the businessman who was agitating the police to kill workers in Marikana” Mayibuye Consultation convener Floyd Shivambu
“There’s a story where someone… pic.twitter.com/WLsQAsHJJK
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) July 31, 2025
Shivambu also made new claims about pre-massacre engagements: “Contrary to popular belief, workers didn’t call for assistance first. I personally contacted [what appears to be EFF leader Julius Malema] to intervene with the miners.”
The remarks come amid growing frustration over unresolved accountability for Marikana victims’ families. Political analysts suggest Shivambu’s intervention serves dual purposes – keeping the tragedy in public consciousness while positioning his new political movement as a workers’ champion ahead of 2026 local elections.
The presidency has not yet responded to Shivambu’s latest allegations. However, the comments underscore how Marikana remains an open wound in South Africa’s political landscape, particularly for Ramaphosa’s administration which has faced criticism for slow progress on compensation and justice for affected families.
As election season approaches, Shivambu’s rhetoric signals potential attempts to mobilize worker discontent and capitalize on historical grievances against established political figures, including both Ramaphosa and his former EFF colleagues.