S. African gov't promises speedy Marikana tragedy claims settlement

The South African government was committed to seeking an expedited resolution of legitimate legal claims instituted as a consequence of the Marikana tragedy, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

A legal team was immediately engaged to assist and fast-track the resolution of legitimate legal claims as a result of the tragedy, in which 34 miners were killed by police in 2012, Zuma said.

At its initiative, a series of roundtable discussions were convened with counsel and attorneys acting for the claimants, where proposals were advanced on behalf of the government to achieve a speedy resolution of claims, he said.

By March 2016, the government had conceded 100 percent merits of legitimate legal claims. Instructions were given to settle claims including those of unlawful arrest and detention, but the State will exclude those claims that are under criminal investigation and those that face possible prosecution, Zuma said in a statement.

Attorneys for claimants were urged to provide all information required for the settlement process, he said.

Police shot dead 34 miners during mining unrest in Marikana, North West Province on August 16, 2012. It was the biggest tragedy in the mining sector in the post-apartheid era.

Resolution of legal claims by families of victims have been overdue four years after the tragedy.

"The government is currently in the process of determining the quantum and will make offer of payments in full settlement of claims in due course," Zuma pledged.

To date, the government has appointed an actuary to calculate the quantum of each claim, and is therefore preparing to make an offer once all loss of support claims have been completed, according to Zuma.

Proposed amounts for settlement of the claims of unlawful detention and arrest are complete, and the government legal team is now consulting with senior counsel and ready to make an offer to settle these claims in the next few months, he said.

With regard to personal injury claims, the government has proposed that both parties use one set of medical experts to assist in quantifying these claims in order to reduce costs and to expedite the process of calculation and settlement, Zuma said.

The calculation of personal injury claims can only commence once the State and the plaintiff attorneys agree on the set of experts to calculate the quantum of these claims, he added. Enditem