FW: COSATU Media Monitor, 7 December 2009

It says the move will help to raise standards of education in the country.

The union says the initiative will be launched this week at the Education Labour Relations Council and it will be rolled out early next year.

Sadtu's KZN spokesperson Mbuyiseni Mathonsi says they're happy that the department has finally responded to their call for teachers to be given subsidised laptops to make it easy for them to access relevant information for teaching and learning.

"We believe that it is a step in the right direction; however we think that the department shall prepare teachers for that eventuality through training etcetera. I know that there is a company that has been tasked with that responsibility of training educators.

"All in all, it’s a benefit that Sadtu had fought for, and we are happy that it is coming at last."

1.2 SADTU criticised for shielding incompetent teachers

Micel Schnehage, Eye Witness News, 5 December 2009

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU has again been lambasted for shielding incompetent teachers at the expense of quality education.

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille says the DA will push ahead with plans to make all teachers in the Western Cape sign performance contracts.

Zille says the performance contracts will see them evaluated according to the results achieved by their students.

Zille says this is part of a plan to double literacy levels in grade three to six to 90 percent.

It is also part of a plan to increase numeracy levels by 35 percent for grade three learners and 14 percent for grade six to an average of 80 percent.

The DA leader says while these are ambitious targets, she believes they can be met with a sustained, focused and systematic approach that holds teachers, principals and schools accountable.

1.3 Parents apathetic, says Zille

Kingdom Mabuza, Sowetan, 7 December 2009

DA leader Helen Zille has questioned society’s commitment to the education system.

Writing in her party’s online letter, Zille said a lack of protests against the poor state of education was an indication of a lack of interest.

“It is a mystery why people – many of them parents – are quick to engage in protest over poor service delivery but do not take to the streets demanding a better education for their children,” she said.

Zille said the education system was far behind and indications were that it was on the decline and the uneducated were a burden to the state.

“Very few people would dispute the value of a good education. Those without it are destined to remain dependent on handouts,” she said.

“Given the obvious decline in the quality of our schooling, it is curious that education is rarely cited as a key priority by responses in social surveys.”

National Association of School Governing Bodies chairperson Mahlomola Kekana said there were platforms for communities to participate in the schooling system without resorting to protests.

“The SA Schools Act provides a platform for parents, communities and all stakeholders to raise issues related to challenges faced by schools.

“There is no need to take to the streets. All stakeholders have embraced means that allow them access to improve the education system,” Kekana said.

“ The doors of learning and teaching are open and there is continuous engagement.”

Zille lashed out at Sadtu for “protecting unproductive teachers”.

“They are protected by powerful unions such as Sadtu, who care more about shielding incompetent cadres than the quality of our children’s education. Sadtu is quick to take to the streets when members’ interests are threatened.”

1.4 Lonmin strikes wage deal with Marikana workers

By resourceINTEL, 5 December 2009

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Platinum-miner Lonmin has reached a two-year wage agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) with regard to workers at its Marikana operation in North West province.

Employees would receive a 10% wage increase for the first year of the agreement, which would be backdated to October 1, 2009.

They would be entitled to an increase of consumer price inflation plus 2% in the second year of the agreement, Lonmin reported on Friday.

“We are pleased to have successfully concluded these wage negotiations. This was achieved as a result of the concerted efforts of the negotiating teams involved, representing Lonmin and all of the recognised unions, to finalise the agreements. We are grateful to them for the constructive manner in which they carried out and concluded these negotiations,” Lonmin CEO Mahomed Seedat said.

The NUM was not immediately available for comment.

The union had initially demanded a 25% increase from the platinum-miner.

In November, Lonmin also concluded a one-year wage agreement with Solidarity, in terms of which employees would receive a 9,5% increase for the 2010 financial year.

1. South Africa

2.1 'Nationalisation will save rich'

James Brent-Styan, Fin24, 7 December 2009

Johannesburg - Those behind the debate on the nationalisation of mines are simply seeking deliverance from their own financial predicaments in the wake of the economic crisis.

This is according to Jeremy Cronin, deputy minister of transport.

Cronin, who is also the deputy secretary-general of the South African Communist Party, says the economic crisis was particularly hard on the mining industry.

People who acquired black economic empowerment stakes in mines lost a great deal of money in the downturn. If government were to nationalise the mines this would effectively present them with financial rescue packages, much like the bail-out packages given to banks overseas.

Cronin says that instead of giving financial hand-outs, government decided rather to invest in infrastructural projects. Government and the SACP, he explains, are not against nationalisation - and this debate is important - but one has to ask whether nationalisation of the mines is really a priority.

2.2 ANC Veterans League ‘just a toothless dog’

Kingdom Mabuza, Sowetan, 7 December 2009

THE newly launched ANC Veterans League will have minimal influence on the ANC compared with other components of the party – the Youth League and Women’s League.

Centre for Politics and Research executive director Prince Mashele yesterday told Sowetan that he had doubts whether the Veterans League would even be taken seriously. He said the veterans would not have the same political energy of the ANCYL to mobilise.

Mashele said the Youth League’s “new culture of disrespecting” the elders would also limit space for veterans to exert their influence.

“The Youth League’s new culture of insulting the elders in the ANC will make it difficult for the veterans to exercise their influence. It is not the style of the elders to publicly talk about matters that affect the ANC,” he said.

The Veterans League would have voting rights similar to those accorded to the ANCYL and ANCWL.

During the inaugural national conference in Kempton Park at the weekend the veterans elected Sandi Sijake as president, Thandi Memela as deputy president, Natso Khumalo as general secretary, Wesi Seeko as deputy general secretary and Fanele Mbali Herbert as treasurer.

The conference took a resolution to confer former president Nelson Mandela with the Isithwalandwe Award, the highest honour awarded by the ANC, and the position of honorary life president of the ANCVL.

1.3 SACP wants to make mark on ANC local lists

Karima Brown, Business Day, 7 December 2009

WHILE the South African Communist Party (SACP) will not contest the 2011 local government elections under its own banner, it will not take a hands-off approach in the selection of candidates, general secretary Blade Nzimande said yesterday.

This week’s special SACP congress, which starts in Polokwane on Wednesday, will discuss in detail how to make the list process of the African National Congress (ANC) for the 2011 municipal process “more inclusive”, he told Business Day.

The decision not to oppose the ruling party at the municipal polls was taken at the SACP’s policy conference, which was held last year.

“The state of local government is a major part of our discussions, and given recent examples of how a closed process led to poor candidates emerging, we need to ensure that genuine leaders backed by the communities emerge,” Nzimande said.

Nzimande said the “social distance” between political elites and communities often resulted in poor choices during lists processes.

“We need to ensure that real leaders who enjoy broad support among communities emerge on the lists, and not just pick those who are powerful or have access to resources,” he said.

Nzimande was mindful, however, that the autonomy of the ANC should not be undermined in the process. “No communist should be used to fight battles in allied organisations,” he said.

Some ANC leaders have fingered SACP members in hot spots such as Diepsloot for using community unhappiness over slack delivery as a cover to further their own political careers. Nzimande said this was the case in some areas but it was the “exception rather than the rule”.

Historically, lists processes in the ANC and the tripartite alliance are fiercely contested. A ramped-up SACP role during this period could add to tension in the alliance.

The SACP will also back an overhaul of municipal government that is being spearheaded by the D epartment of Co-operative G overnance and T raditional A ffairs.

“We welcome the state’s approach as it incorporated much of what we have been agitating for. The proposal to strengthen ward committees is particularly important as it will deepen community participation and ensure greater legitimacy.”

Buoyed by what he described as the SACP’s inroads in influencing government policy, Nzimande said that a key issue for the special congress would be to evaluate the progress of the SACP’s medium- term strategic vision.

“One of the decisions was how to build working-class power in key sites, and I think we have made significant progress.

“The commitment to review the Reserve Bank mandate, the centrality of rural development in economic policy, advances on industrial policy and the resolutions adopted at the Polokwane conference are positive signs of advancement,” he said.

2.4Transnet chief battle rages on

By Nontyatyambo Petros and Asha Speckman, Business Report, 7 December 2009

The political fallout over the leadership succession at Transnet has taken its toll on the transport parastatal, which is in the process of an unprecedented upgrade of its rail, ports and pipelines.

The company started the R80 billion infrastructure network rollout last year. But its executive managers are now entangled in a ferocious battle which has seen several ANC leaders, the ANC Youth League and the Black Management Forum taking on the parastatal's board over its choice of a new chief executive.

"It has been very disruptive; false statements have been made and there has been lobbying to outside parties," acting chief executive Chris Wells told Business Report on the sidelines of a press conference the company called on Friday.

Wells did not identify the "outside parties". But this can be read to include the ANC, which wants the head of Transnet to be Siyabonga Gama, the chief executive of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR).

Gama was suspended in September for alleged serious breach of procurement and governance regulations. The board does not believe Gama is a suitable candidate to replace Maria Ramos, who left the parastatal at the end of February. It suggested three names as possible successors.

Gama's supporters regard the charges against Gama as a ploy to frustrate his ascension to the top job at the group.

The feud has delayed the appointment of a chief executive and resulted in the appointment of several people in acting roles, denting staff morale, raising the spectre of tensions between senior managers and disrupting continuity and project implementation.

The group has been without a full-time chief executive since March this year. It also has an acting board chairman, following Fred Phaswana's retirement in August.

The freight rail division has been operating without a full-time chief executive since the suspension of Gama. Transnet announced three weeks ago that Tau Morwe, the Transnet Port Terminals chief executive, would act as chief executive at TFR. Karl Socikwa was announced as interim head of Transnet Port Terminals.

Wells said Transnet had assigned "a few skilled" individuals to handle fallout emanating from the Gama issue.

ANC chairman Brian Sokutu said it was entirely legitimate for ANC leaders to pronounce their views in the matter. "As far as the ANC is concerned, there is nothing sinister in ANC members expressing a view in what they perceive as unfair treatment of Mr Gama," he said.

"We did go on record to say that there was a new hearing in motion, let us give that hearing a chance."

Sokutu said he did not believe that there had been any interference in the operations at Transnet.

Political analyst Steven Friedman said: "The point is that there was an attempt to influence proceedings in favour of an individual. There is nothing wrong with that if good reasons are given, but in this case there weren't any.

"Public entities should be subject to public debate. It is legitimate to have public debate about who should be the chief executive of a public enterprise. In a sense, this is a public process in which the public's interests were affected effectively by a democratically elected head of state," he added, referring to President Jacob Zuma's intervention in the matter.

"For as long as Transnet remains a public entity, people should always be free to say how it should be led... if there is interference for its own interest then the cure for that is more public debate."

Acting chairman Geoff Everingham was reluctant to comment on the process to find a full-time chief executive. "The board has gone as far as it can and the situation is now with the minister," he said.

Gama's disciplinary process was likely to resume by mid-January, the company said.

But if the ANC has its way, the board will be dissolved before January and a new chairman will be appointed, Business Report has been told.

The new chairman will then appoint a new board, which will then drop the charges against Siyabonga Gama and appoint him as head of Transnet.

The company is also in the process of disciplining several other employees found to have breached governance rules.

The company last week announced the suspension of two senior employees at Transnet Freight Rail charged with gross negligence and manipulation of tender processes. Wells said these disciplinary issues were handled, as usual, by the group's human resources team.

2.5 ANC stunned by ‘pettiness’ of Ginwala

IOL, 7 December 2009

Frene Ginwala's comments on salary hikes for government officials display "astounding" and "blinding pettiness", the office of the ANC chief whip said on Sunday.

The office's spokesperson Moloto Mothapo was responding to a media report in which former National Assembly speaker Frene Ginwala criticised President Jacob Zuma's approval of certain salary increases for government officials.

"Today's statements in the Sunday Times by... Ginwala, in which she berates the decision by President Jacob Zuma to approve the seven percent salary increase for public office bearers, is gravely regrettable."

Mothapo said Judge Willie Seriti, who chairs an independent commission for the remuneration of public office bearers recommended that goverment salaries be increased by eight percent.

'How many of our leaders lead by example?'

"President Zuma turned it down as he felt it was excessive."

"The President's sensitivity to the current economic climate was lauded by many in our society.

"Whatever drives Ginwala... to see poor leadership out of this political boldness remains a mystery.

"Her blinding pettiness is indeed astounding," said Mothapo.

Ginwala told the Sunday Times that the failure to rein in ANCYL leader Julius Malema and accepting salary hikes were signs of the poor quality of leadership shown by Zuma and his government.

Given the recession and high levels of unemployment, Zuma should not have granted salary increases to his officials, the former National Assembly speaker told the newspaper in an interview.

"Look at the level of political leadership in this country. It's not very good. How many of our leaders lead by example?"

In 1995 former president Nelson Mandela announced salary cuts in his administration, and, more recently Thabo Mbeki refused for years to take salary increases when he was head of state.

This lack of leadership manifested itself in allowing ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema to insult "older people", such as Mbeki, ANC veteran Zola Skweyiya, former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota and former education minister Naledi Pandor.

"When he (Malema) was speaking the way he was, a number of people stopped me in the street and said: 'How do you allow that boy to speak to elders in this way?'

"If he was engaging in political debate in the national executive committee, no one expects him not to speak his mind. But publicly... you could still put the ideas across with some respect for your elders. Now that is where we are running ourselves down," the paper quoted her as saying.

Following the storm around the appointment of Menzi Simelane as national director of public prosecutions, she said she "fully" stood by her report which was critical of Simelane's handling of Vusi Pikoli's suspension. - Sapa

2.6 Zuma talks to ANC veterans - mostly about corruption

By Stephen Grootes, THEDAILYMAVERICK, 5 December 2009

President Jacob Zuma was keynote speaker at the inaugural ANC Veterans’ League conference. Apart from deference to the old heroes and other pleasantries, he chose to hit out at the evils of the lusts for power, influence and money within the ruling party. The problem is he’s said that before and nothing much changed.

Politicians like the word “momentous”. It’s actually one of our president’s favourites, and as a result, it can get rather overused. But while Friday’s launch of the ANC’s Veterans’ League may have passed you by, for the people involved it was huge. They came with their walkers, their sticks, even the odd wheelchair. Hearing-aids plugged in, many in their dark green (almost Springbok-green, in fact) ANC blazers, they queued up patiently to get through security. It was a queue that shuffled.

It’s really quite a narrow needle you need to thread to qualify. Unlike the Zimbabwean “veterans” Mugabe used to seize white-owned farms, one must be over 60 and have belonged to the ANC on an uninterrupted basis for more than 40 years. That’s a long time. And that made yesterday’s launch a very big deal. It’s quite something to hear about 300 people, all over 60, shouting as loudly as they can for someone. It’s a completely different sound to the roar of the young ANC lions, or the sheer overwhelming spectacle of a full stadium. But they gave it their earnest all when Zuma entered.

He concentrated, quite sensibly, on them. What they’d done for the country, how they were the collected wisdom of the party and what they still needed to do. Of course, that’s the part where the hacks’ table pricked up its ears. He started off with discipline, how nothing can be done without it and how the veterans should really keep an eye on the discipline in the ANC. Is that about Julius Malema, you ask? If asked directly, Zuma is unlikely to say it is. But it might be. And he’s certainly pointing toward a tendency among people to simply say whatever they feel like at any given moment, crazy or not, inflammatory or otherwise and no matter who they’re addressing.

For Zuma, it was probably also a big day (okay, he did have the little thing of the World Cup draw later). You see, he’s one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to the history of the ANC. He will have seen himself speaking in front of ANC legends as something that really mattered. He’s always shown great respect for the elderly, and particularly the ANC elderly. While it seems that sometimes Malema and his ilk get away with blue murder, shouting, screaming and insulting an elder is likely to really piss Zuma off. So perhaps he felt it was time to redress the balance a little.

But on to what he wants the veterans still to do: Help us fight corruption. Keep the party on the straight and narrow. Expose deals done in the darkness of small corners. And when people try to go against you, don’t give in. That’s actually a pretty big task. But he’s helped out by identifying the major problems facing the party, and it’s pretty strong stuff. “The lust for money and power … have sought to undermine the ANC, have sought to change the character of the ANC … these two evils are fighting to destroy the ANC.”

It’s pretty clear he’s talking about tenders, contracts, peddling of influence. Kgalema Motlanthe was the first senior ANC leader to go public about this, before Polokwane, in fact. So, over two years the two mightiest leaders have been on it, and nothing’s really changed. While we can presume there is political will being invested in trying to clean up the ranks of the party, it does seem to be a terribly difficult task. And while Zuma wants to do something, or says he does, where exactly would you have him start?

You can’t take out someone like Paul Mashatile or Lulu Xingwana, because if you start high, people may look a little higher. If you start too low, no one notices. How about in the provinces? Maybe, but you have to presume all the provincial leaders are clean, and that’s a pretty big ask. And who will do it. Menzi Simelane? Only if he’s told to do so. So Zuma’s in a bit of a pickle. We don’t imagine he’ll get a huge amount of sympathy while doing it.

But back to happier thoughts, and the ANC Veterans’ League which is spending its weekend at Esselen Park. They must be thrilled that Zuma came to speak to them. It’s not going to be a big league. When you consider the size of the others, it’s going to be fairly minute actually. But it’ll carry a proper heft. It’ll be worth being the leader of. Your voice will carry some serious weight. And young Julius will have to watch himself when he speaks to you, or about you.

Besides, you carry a walking stick, and he doesn’t.

2.7 South Africa’s Ruling Party Concerned by Eskom Plans (Update1)

By Carli Lourens, Bloomberg, 5 December 2009

(Bloomberg) -- South Africa’s ruling party said it’s “concerned” about Eskom Holdings Ltd.’s proposal to boost electricity prices 146 percent over three years and warned it may stifle the country’s economic recovery.

“We see the Eskom proposal to NERSA not assisting South Africa’s economic growth, especially its recovery from the recent recession,” the African National Congress said in an e- mailed statement today. The ANC will make a submission to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, or NERSA, it said.

Eskom yesterday said it had reduced its tariff increase proposal to 35 percent a year for three years, from an earlier request for 45 percent, after objections from the ANC, labor groups and business. The state-owned utility is relying on tariff increases to help fund an expansion aimed at preventing a repeat of capacity shortages that caused rolling blackouts throughout the country last year.

“The 35 percent tariff increase would still be too high,” the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the country’s largest labor federation, said in an e-mailed statement today. Cosatu has suggested a one-off tax on large companies, among other things, to help reduce Eskom’s estimated 80 billion rand ($11 billion) shortfall for its 385 billion rand expansion plan.

Eskom also announced plans yesterday aimed at reducing its own spending requirements by making room for private investors.

Kusile Stake

Its board gave initial approval to sell about 30 percent of its planned Kusile coal-fired power plant in the next two years, possibly for as much as 40 billion rand. It also delayed the construction of projects including Kusile and scrapped a plan to build a third coal-fired power plant.

There is a “welcome change in tack by Eskom and the government on the electricity conundrum,” Investec said in a note today. “There may be better ways still for Eskom to proceed from here, but a new approach could at least diminish (though not entirely remove) the inflation shadow that has been hanging over forecasts for the next year or so.”

Eskom helped fuel inflation to a record 13.6 percent in August last year when it raised tariffs an average 28 percent. The utility has increased tariffs an average 31 percent this year.

NERSA is scheduled to decide on Eskom’s tariff application on Feb. 24 after holding public hearings next month.

Mluleki Mntungwa (Communications Officer)

COSATU ICT Unit

1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Street

Braamfontein

2007

P.O.Box 1019

Johannesburg

2000

South Africa

Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24

Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940

E-Mail: mlu...@cosatu.org.za

image001.jpg

image002.png

Reply all

Reply to author

Forward

0 new messages