Yet three years later justice – in particular, for the families of all the victims – eludes us. While the long-awaited Farlam Report has finally been released, no government or police official is yet to take responsibility for the greatest use of lethal force against civilians since the fall of Apartheid.

The response we have seen from President Jacob Zuma since the release of the report is reflective of the accountability deficit synonymous with his administration. Yet the President did not merely fail to take responsibility for Marikana, he sought to exonerate the police and shift the blame to the striking miners during an address to students at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).

Moreover, in response to the protests taking place at TUT, he warned students “not [to] use violence to express yourselves, or I might be forced to relook at the Apartheid laws that used violence to suppress people”.

Zuma’s statement provides a window into the rationale of the political leaders during the tragedy, and their clear willingness to use deadly force to bring the strike to an end. Marikana is indicative of a party that has lost its moral compass and now resorts to any means necessary to maintain social order in the face of legitimate dissatisfaction with the slow pace of transformation over the past 20 years.

The miners at Marikana were striking for higher wages and better living conditions. Three years after their protests resulted in the tragic death of 44 individuals, the conditions at Marikana have shown no sign of improvement.

I visited Marikana in the wake of the release of the Farlam Report and bore witness to the same issues the miners died fighting for. The migrant labour patterns and mining town conditions that were prevalent under Apartheid have not changed much, leaving us vulnerable to further instability in the future. The potential for a repeat of Marikana remains as long as the conditions that ultimately led to it remain unchanged.

The Democratic Allicance (DA) will fight to hold those responsible for the massacre to account. Where appropriate we will also advocate in favour of criminal charges being laid against those responsible. But in assigning blame, our focus will be on making sure that those who were directly affected by the tragedy are compensated for their loss or injury, and that this tragedy is never allowed to happen again.

Many of those who lost their lives were migrant workers who were working to provide for others. We must acknowledge the socio-economic impact of their death and provide support to those who are deprived of an income as a result.

For this reason the Democratic Alliance will table a Bill in Parliament when it reconvenes in August to establish a compensation fund for the victims of Marikana and their dependents. We encourage all those who share in the responsibility for the massacre – including government, SAPS, Lonmin and the unions – to contribute to the fund in order to provide restitution for the families of the victims.

Money alone does not right the wrong of Marikana, but the families of the victims must not be allowed to suffer further. Providing them with compensation is the first step in the process of seeing that justice takes it course.

We must honour the memory of those who died by recognising that the massacre at Marikana was precipitated by the continued structural inequality of our society, and the fact that millions of South Africans still lack freedom of opportunity.

Nelson Mandela said in the early days of our democracy that “We are not yet free… We have merely achieved the freedom to be free”. The DA strives to build a society where a growing economy will unlock the potential of all our citizens and give them freedom they can use.

In the society we envision, underpinned by the values of freedom, fairness and opportunity, individual success will be determined by our own choices and hard work, and not constrained by the circumstances of our birth.

The only sure-fire way to prevent another Marikana from happening is by addressing the underlying causes of the strike. This requires more than just responding to the immediate needs of miners, but a transformation of our economy into one that is altogether more prosperous, inclusive and fair. That is the dream the DA has for our country. DM