JOHANNESBURG - "Our societal structures continue to be caught up with violence," Icon director Crispen Hemson said in a statement.

"Political action has consisted too much on identifying one or other groups as the enemy".

He was reacting to the death of 34 protesters at Lonmin mine in Marikana on Thursday after police opened fire on them.

Hemson said South Africa had failed to develop a political and civic culture that valued the lives of all in the society.

"South Africa can now no longer ignore the terrible problem with which we still live," he said.

"We know that achieving the end of violence is a long task, but, as South Africans, we have taken on long tasks before".