August 1 Victims' Families Yet To Be Compensated

Despite claiming that the government has fully complied with recommendations made by the Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry into the 1 August post-election violence, a senior government official could not confirm if the shooting victims’ families had received any payments.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Permanent Secretary Mrs Virginia Mabhiza, who was also the Commission’s secretary, said her Ministry is not responsible for making payment and has not received feedback from the families to ascertain the form of assistance they have received. Mabhiza said:

When the report came out we had physical communication with the victims’ relatives and families who we told of the procedures to follow through social welfare in order to get compensation.

As the Ministry of Justice, we are not responsible for payments. Payments are processed through (Ministry of Public Service, Labour and) Social Welfare.

What has happened is that we have not really received much feedback from the families to ascertain the sort of assistance they have received.

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We had planned for assistance with payment of school fees for minor children and hand-outs to assist other elderly dependants with ordinary expenses.

Secretary for the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Simon Masanga reportedly did not respond to a request for comment.

Mabhiza did not disclose if the security services who shot and killed six people while injuring 35 more on the fateful day have been held to account.

More: Sunday News