COSATU NW IS GIVING A STRONG WARNING TO THE NEW MAYORS

The  Congress of South African Trade Unions and its affiliates gives a strong warning to the new mayors, speakers, chief whips and the MMC who are currently busy planning to dismiss some of our members and putting some of the so called political staff who are not in their faction or groupings on to the street.

COSATU is worried that already many workers are being told by some of the mayors that they must start looking for jobs outside the municipalities, where they are not needed.  This is what we say once again - that most of the councilors are not deployed to serve the interest of the poor communities, but to serve the interests of their own factions and groupings that supported them during the manipulation of the list. This is the time for pay back.

It is disappointing that after hardly two weeks our members are now being politically threatened, intimidated and victimised and that most of the mayors are already appearing in the papers with their programmes of corruption. E.g.  the mayor of Madibeng refused to use the car that was used by the former mayor; a car is hired for her at the rate of between R2000 and R60 000. The mayor of Moses Kotane has also hired a new car and appointed a company of an ANC PEC member to clean her office at R20 000. The mayor of Moretele hired a new car at a very high rate while the municipality is facing a financial crisis.

What is taking place in these municipalities is exactly what COSATU said - that all these imposed councilors to the communities are not worried about service delivery. What they want is to corrupt the municipalities to their own 2012 political agenda. The individuals who were dismissed on corruption with their friend, the so-called ‘Mr Cash' at Madibeng municipality are back at work

What does it mean to the workers? What does it mean to the poor communities in the same municipalities? What does it mean to the voters of the ANC?

We are calling on workers in the NW both at municipalities including in the provincial government who are affected by the same situation of the so-called political staff to make sure that they meet with COSATU locals at their localities to prepare for a clear submission to fight against the exploitation and to fight for their rights.

We are also calling all workers in the municipalities to give solidarity support to those workers who are political dismissed by the councilors who do not care about the high unemployment rate which is increasing in the NW, all SAMWU members are requested to start fight for their rights including defending the rights of the poor communities to get what they voted for.

We will be intensifying our campaign to protect our current jobs and make sure that the municipalities play a central role in the NW PGDS program. The only way to make them listen is to take our members, with support of the poor communities, to the street. That's all what we can do.

For us to achieve our national democratic revolution, if it means we must get it from the street let it be. It is clear that we will not achieve our NDR in board room meetings. We lost many leaders fighting for our 17 years of democracy. If it means under the ANC NW leadership that some of our people must die for the national democratic revolution let it be.

Statement issued by COSATU North West Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe, June 12 2011

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