The Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) laying of criminal charges against Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa‚ then-police minister Nathi Mthethwa‚ national police commissioner Riah Phiyega and North West provincial commissioner Zukiswa Mbombo “has merit”.

But‚ the Congress of the People (Cope)‚ added: “The buck‚ however‚ stops with the head of state.

“Cope believes that the EFF is missing an important target.”

Cope’s Dennis Bloem said on Friday that it “asserts that President Jacob Zuma and his executive cannot wash the massacre at Marikana off their hands”.

The EFF announced that it would on Friday be opening the cases against Ramaphosa‚ Mthethwa‚ Phiyega and Mbombo for either “conspiring” or “instructing” the murders of 34 mineworkers on August 16‚ 2012.

Cope‚ however‚ wants Zuma and his administration to “take full responsibility for all 44 lives that were lost”‚ adding the 10 deaths recorded in the days leading up to the massacre.

“The massacre happened under (Zuma’s) watch‚” Bloem said. “Actively and by omission the government contributed to the most horrific massacre in democratic South Africa. The massacre damaged our standing in the world.”

Bloem added that “the mistake of the Sharpville massacre in 1960” must not be repeated.

“At that time‚ the political leadership never took responsibility for that massacre and left the foot soldiers take the blame. We must not make that mistake again.

“A charge must be laid against Zuma for making the police service into a paramilitary police force having the licence to shoot and kill. That is why Marikana happened.”