A labour analyst said on Sunday that this year's Heritage Day celebrations are tainted by the violence and deaths in Marikana.

More than 40 miners were killed during clashes with police over a wage dispute protest at the Lonmin mines last month.

Operations came to a halt at one of the country's biggest mining institutions during the almost month long strike.

“South Africa has a heritage of union members and employers, for that matter, complying with collective bargaining agreements,” said labour expert Tony Healy.

“Certainly the heritage we’re taking forward from Marikana is that there is little regard for collective agreements.”

Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma on Saturday criticised workers involved in protests in the mining sector for abandoning their trade unions.

He said unions are there to advance workers' interests and should be allowed to do their jobs.

Zuma spoke during the Alexandra township centennial celebrations, saying deaths in Marikana could have been avoided if the miners allowed their trade unions to negotiate on their behalf.

The president warned the trend of workers wanting to negotiate without unions is dangerous and takes the country backwards.

“The new culture of violent protests which threaten lives has no place in a democratic society.”

Zuma called on South Africans to do some soul searching, saying they are moving away from the values of ubuntu.