THE last of the Marikana mine shooting victims, who were killed when police opened fire on protesting miners, were buried at the weekend.
Two of the five victims were buried in Eastern Cape, while of the remaining three one was buried in Lesotho and two in other provinces.
In Eastern Cape, Fezile David was buried in Mqanduli and Thembelakhe Mati, 49, in Ntabankulu.
Mati died three days after being shot. He had apparently hidden in a shack fearing he would be arrested if he went to hospital and bled to death.
Lonwabo Dimanda, a miner who was with him, told mourners Mati's death should teach the country a lesson.
"The country should learn from Mati's death. He died, and he became scared of going to hospital because he was to be arrested - what country are we living in? We should have been protected but we were killed by police," Dimanda said.
The funeral was attended by Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi and Eastern Cape MEC for agrarian reform Zoleka Capa.
Nxesi represented the government at the funeral, which was attended by scores of people from around the country, including North West where Mati had worked.
Speaking to the mourners Nxesi said the government was doing all it could to get to the bottom of what happened at Marikana.
"We need to be patient and calm at this time. We, as government, are doing our best to get to the bottom of this, to know what really happened," Nxesi said.
Capa told mourners Mati's life should be celebrated.
"I have noticed that there are a lot of young people who are not working in this area and we need to celebrate his life by having projects that will be launched to remember him. As government we have money to do agrarian projects and we need local people to identify fields in which we can work and assist the community," Capa said.
Friends and family of Mati described him as a humble man, who would not have hurt a fly.
"He died for what was right for him. He was such a gentleman who would not hurt anyone for anything. He was working for his family," said Nqabayomzi Mbhele, a friend.
Mati leaves behind his wife, six children and two grandchildren.
Last of the Marikana mine victims laid to rest
THE last of the Marikana mine shooting victims, who were killed when police opened fire on protesting miners, were buried at the weekend.
Two of the five victims were buried in Eastern Cape, while of the remaining three one was buried in Lesotho and two in other provinces.
In Eastern Cape, Fezile David was buried in Mqanduli and Thembelakhe Mati, 49, in Ntabankulu.
Mati died three days after being shot. He had apparently hidden in a shack fearing he would be arrested if he went to hospital and bled to death.
Lonwabo Dimanda, a miner who was with him, told mourners Mati's death should teach the country a lesson.
"The country should learn from Mati's death. He died, and he became scared of going to hospital because he was to be arrested - what country are we living in? We should have been protected but we were killed by police," Dimanda said.
The funeral was attended by Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi and Eastern Cape MEC for agrarian reform Zoleka Capa.
Nxesi represented the government at the funeral, which was attended by scores of people from around the country, including North West where Mati had worked.
Speaking to the mourners Nxesi said the government was doing all it could to get to the bottom of what happened at Marikana.
"We need to be patient and calm at this time. We, as government, are doing our best to get to the bottom of this, to know what really happened," Nxesi said.
Capa told mourners Mati's life should be celebrated.
"I have noticed that there are a lot of young people who are not working in this area and we need to celebrate his life by having projects that will be launched to remember him. As government we have money to do agrarian projects and we need local people to identify fields in which we can work and assist the community," Capa said.
Friends and family of Mati described him as a humble man, who would not have hurt a fly.
"He died for what was right for him. He was such a gentleman who would not hurt anyone for anything. He was working for his family," said Nqabayomzi Mbhele, a friend.
Mati leaves behind his wife, six children and two grandchildren.
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