As the 13th anniversary of the Marikana Massacre approaches, questions about accountability for the events leading up to and including that day remain unanswered.

On August 16, 2012, police shot and killed 34 striking mineworkers at Lonmin’s platinum mine in the North West province, bringing the total death toll that week to 44.

Marikana mineworkers’ attorney, Andries Nkome, reflects on the road to justice.

“We had a judgment in which the technicalities brought by the president were determined. The court was supposed to conclude that the matter was not justifiable in court or that the president had to answer for his role in the Marikana massacre. It was the court’s words that the president was the mastermind behind the Marikana massacre.”

[WATCH] Next Saturday marks 13 years since the Marikana massacre, when police shot and killed 34 mineworkers during a strike at Lonmin’s platinum mine in 2012. Marikana mineworkers’ attorney Andries Nkome reflects on the road to accountability. pic.twitter.com/AcoQgFveD3

— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 10, 2025