A press of a button results in the documentation of moments that define an era for future generations. Marikana was a watershed moment in South African history and for its young democracy. In years to come historians and other members of society will look back on it and dissect it based on the images captured by photographers Leon Sadiki, Alon Skuy, Felix Dlangamandla, Lucas Ledwaba and Kevin Sutherland.
“As much as photography is about a single moment, it’s also timeless," said renowned war photographer James Nachtwey.
In the series of photographs on show in this exhibition the photojournalists who saw this historic moment unfold go further than capturing the violent nature of the strike. The works reflect on the human suffering and disruption of life that resulted from the strike. They also capture the anger of the workers who gathered on a hill in Marikana prior to the strike. They go further to show the police in action with automatic rifles charging at the workers in scenes never imagined in the new democratic South Africa.
The images show the devastating loss of human life. Though some of the images are graphic, they are captured in a somewhat sensitive manner that seeks to portray an honest account of events, recording a dark spot of our history. The body of work goes beyond the violence and delves into the impact of the violence on family members in far-flung areas such as Lesotho and the Eastern Cape where grieving widows and children were faced with the grim task of identifying their loved ones in coffins. The body of work also looks at the deplorable social conditions in which the workers and some of their families lived in Marikana and also goes further to capture the early days of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the killing of the 44 people.
Opening event Aug 16, 18:00-21:00. Exhibition closes Aug 20.
