Home » Inquiry to Look at Police Chief’s Actions at Marikana

Inquiry to Look at Police Chief’s Actions at Marikana

PRETORIA – The fallout from the horrific shootings of 34 miners at Marikana in 2012 continue to be felt, as President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday appointed a commission of inquiry into the Police Commissioner Riay Phiyegi’s fitness to hold office. The three-member board led by Judge Cornelis Claasen will probe “the allegations of misconduct by the national […]

By SAPeople
23-09-15 09:16
in News

PRETORIA – The fallout from the horrific shootings of 34 miners at Marikana in 2012 continue to be felt, as President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday appointed a commission of inquiry into the Police Commissioner Riay Phiyegi’s fitness to hold office.

The three-member board led by Judge Cornelis Claasen will probe “the allegations of misconduct by the national commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), and/or her capacity to execute official duties efficiently”, according to a statement by the president. The board’s appointment follows recommendations made by the Marikana Commission of Inquiry into the deaths.

In August 2012, police opened fire on striking miners at the mine near Rustenburg, killing 34 people. The Marikana Commission looking into the tragedy and released by Zuma in June severely criticised the SAPS action.

Zuma said on Tuesday the board of inquiry would look into whether the report prepared by Phiyegi and the media statement issued on August 17 2012 were “deliberately amended to conceal that there were two shooting incidents (scene 1 and scene 2) at Marikana, resulting in misleading the public that all the deaths had occurred at scene 1 which arose out of members of the SAPS having to defend themselves from an advancing mass”.