After a painful week at the Farlam commision, Marikana widows will travel to SABC’s offices in Auckland Park (2:30pm) eTV’s offices in Hyde Park (4pm). There they will hand over at least 3000 names who have joined the campaign to demand the stories of their husbands are told by screening Marikana Massacre documentary Miners Shot Down.

Rehad Desai’s award winning documentary has been called the film every South African still has to see [1]. While the film has been screened on DSTV and Al-Jazeera, Marikana Massacre widow Manthabang Ntsenyeho feels this excludes the majority of South Africans from learning the truth about Marikana. Ntsenyeho wants every South African to know what happened to her husband Andries Ntsenyeho on the 16th August 2012

"I think it is important that the story of the Massacre be shown on TV so that everyone can know what happened at Marikana. Our husbands died unexpectedly. They never got sick, they were killed. They were the providers in our homes because as wives, we were unemployed. Now our kids are left without fathers. I want the movie to be shown on TV because most people have access to TV and we all watch SABC and e-TV” - Ntsenyeho

The campaign to pressure eTV and SABC is being driven by social justice organisation amandla.mobi who run mobile campaigns in multiple languages. The 3000 who have added their names have done so by dialing *120*4729#, through Mxit, as well as online. With the campaign mobilising thousands public pressure and media attention has forced the hand of SABC who on monday finally responded after 5 months of silence after being asked to screen Miners Shot Down. SABC stated they may find a slot to screen the film in 2015. e.tv’s response is that they have already shown content relating to the Marikana Massacre. Koketso Moeti, a campaigner at amandla.mobi says “these excuses and stall tactics aren't good enough, our free to air channel and broadcaster have a responsibility to us as TV license holders and citizens to tell the stories of South Africa’s first ‘post-Apartheid’ massacre, a tragedy that claimed the lives of 34 people in a single day, with 10 others killed in the days before. amandla.mobi has got behind Ntsenyeho and other Marikana widows and family members of those killed in the Marikana Massacre, because it’s critical we remember all those who lost their lives, and pay tribute to them by hearing their stories told”.

Thousands of South Africans have shown their support for the campaign by adding their voice online http://www.amandla.mobi/etv_sabc_screenminersshotdown and by dialing *120*4729# from any cell phone. With under 3 days left before the petition is handed over to both television channels, amandla.mobi is urging members of the public public to support the campaign to hole eTV and SABC to account.

____________________________________________________

Notes to Editors:

[1] Additional reading: Daily Maverick, ‘Miners Shot Down’: Still the film every South African should see

[2] Mobi campaign launched to pressure SABC, e.tv to screen Marikana film

[3] Marikana widows call for showing of Miners Shot Down

Quotes from people supporting the campaign include:

1. “South Africans should be given an opportunity to reflect truly on the Marikana……..its a symbol of the struggle for social justice,freedom, dignity and fair labour practice continues in post apartheid South Africa” Vakai Matutu

2. “I wanna see what really happened,hiding it under wraps won’t change anything.Show me show the public what exactly happened on 16 August 2012 in Marikana” Simbongile Mpayipheli

3. “Every South African must see this. It is like the TRC of Marikana. When I was watching I kept thinking that THIS COUNTRY MUST be told the truth. Those men, those men” Lerato Thibile

4. “An essential film that should be mandatory for everyone who lives in South Africa and cares” Tracey Saunders