As the country commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Marikana massacre, a lawyer for mineworkers injured and arrested during the strike says 10 more cases were settled on Friday in the Pretoria high court, as government moves to pay victims.
This means there are 14 outstanding cases that still need to be settled.
Last week, department of justice and constitutional development solicitor-general Fhedzisani Pandelani told a media briefing that outstanding matters will be finalised before the end of August.
The lawyer, Andries Nkome, said he could not quantify how much each mineworker will receive from the cases that were settled on Friday.
''It is not possible to mention how much each mineworker will receive because compensation is directly linked to the extent of the injury suffered. The ones who are the most injured will receive a bigger payout,’’ said Nkome.
He said the victims in the outstanding cases were seeking damages for severe injuries, medical expenses, loss of past and future earnings, and the extent of general damages which includes pain and suffering.
On general damages alone, each victim is demanding that the state pay an amount between R8m and R12m.
Nkome was still adamant that the outstanding matters will not be concluded before the end of August.
''It is not possible to finalise these cases before the end of August. The case is now postponed to the 17th [August 17] for further deliberations and possible arguments where the parties cannot find one another.
"This leaves only the 18th and 19th for judgment, which makes it even more unlikely that the Marikana settlements will be finalised by the end of August as promised by the solicitor-general,’’ said Nkome.
These cases relate to mineworkers who were injured and those who suffered malicious arrest, prosecution or detainment in relation to the massacre in August 2012.
Nkome’s firm represents 53 injured and 279 arrested mineworkers.
He said the claims of 23 injured workers were settled on August 2 and last week but payments are yet to be made.
He also said the claims of 223 arrested workers were settled in 2018. Nkome did not want to disclose how much they were paid.
In August last year, the state paid R3.5m to one survivor in the ongoing lawsuit.
Pandelani said he would not comment on matters before court.
"I still remain hopeful that save for some supervening impossibilities beyond the control of the parties, that the majority of the matters from the 48 currently in court would have settled by the end August," he said.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) will be hosting an event today to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Marikana massacre.
The event will take place in Marikana at the koppie where the miners were gunned down on this day in 2012.
Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele said the event will be headlined by an address by union president Joseph Mathunjwa and the laying of wreaths at the koppie.
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