Marikana: Analysing Miners’ Subjectivity and the Crisis of Representation

Abstract

This article analyses some of the reasons for the violent repression of the miners' strike in Marikana, South Africa, in which 34 people died on 16 August 2012. It explores the economic and productive context which led the Rock Drill Operators to demand a wage increase outside the usual wage-bargaining structures. It goes on to examine the strikers' subjectivity and the principles of their strike. Because the strike was organised independently of the main union, the National Union of Mineworkers, by miners demanding direct talks with their employer, as a sign of recognition, it illustrated a crisis of representation and embodied an alternative politics. The author argues that the African National Congress government was faced with a challenge to its instituted forms of political representation and, as a result, ordered the police to fire on the demonstrators.

Putting a Face on It

“…It is at this stage that a more personalised narrative may have lent more urgency and clarity to the situation. These narratives may have included the following two points identified by Hayem (2015): the Rock Drill Operators often face the most danger in the extraction process due to their use of explosives; and secondly, due to high unemployment in the area, it is not unusual to find that miners are the sole source of income for their families. It is a high-risk position in terms of both personal safety and community welfare.…”

“…A desire to be recognised, coupled with the decision to speak directly to their employers about their conditions, meant that the miners broke from the trade unions to broker a deal by themselves (Hayem, 2015). Aware that there was a danger that they would be perceived as renegades, it was decided to emphasise the fact that the workers themselves were united in their goal, and thus all mobile phones were switched off.…”

“…Oral traditions allow for the construction and dissemination of "shared experiences", foundations that build a sense of community and belonging. Hayem (2015) notes that by making the decision to gather on the koppie (hill) close to the mine, the strikers were following the tradition whereby public meetings should be held in the sight and knowledge of all, so that all may participate or hear. It was therefore even more unfortunate that the closed channels of communication between the protesters and media observers did not allow for these cultural nuances to be explained to, nor by, the news media.…”

“…The news frames in place leant more towards conflict than peace, based on existing patterns of coverage of labour disputes. Any desire the miners had to present their arguments from a "subjective" perspective (Hayem, 2015), in this case to be understood as a collective argument informed by their own perspectives and realities in order to create empathy or understanding, was thwarted by the lack of representation in the media.…”