Marikana, turning point in South African history

Abstract

Equating a ‘turning point’ with what William Sewell terms an ‘event’, it is argued that Marikana is a turning point in South African history. The massacre was a rupture that led to a sequence of further occurrences, notably a massive wave of strikes, which are changing structures that shape people's lives. We have not yet reached the end of this chain of occurrences, and the scale of the turning point remains uncertain. In common with other events , Marikana has revealed structures unseen in normal times, providing an exceptional vantage point , allowing space for collective creativity, and enabling actors to envisage alternative futures.