COSATU Today 5 November 2009

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, jointly with the NUM, demands the immediate reinstatement of all workers who were dismissed by JIC, Sindile and Iron Gate, which are contractors at the Barplats mine (Crocodile River Mine) in Madibeng.

1600 workers were dismissed under the so-called ‘commercial contract’ signed between contractors and Barplats mine on behalf of the employees. The commercial contract is a sell-out contract which cannot be accepted by the Federation and its members in the Province.

NUM and Barplats signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2009 that all workers employed by the contractors will be employed full time by the mine. But we are now in November 2009 and both the Barplats contractors and their BEE shareholders are very happy with their families while the 1600 workers have been unemployed for over four months, on the street with no food and no work.

COSATU demands that all workers must be reinstated at the end of this week, or there must be a clear programme on when those poor workers will be back at their work.

The engagement with JIC, Sindile and Iron Gate has wasted our time for over four months.

COSATU is preparing a protest march by 14^th November 2009 to Barplats demanding the unconditional reinstatement of all workers.

2. South Africa

2.1COSATU Northern Cape Supports Minister Sexuale’s call to demolish shoddy RDP houses

Anele Gxoyiya, COSATU Northern Cape Provincial Secretary, 4 November 2009

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the Northern Cape has fully supported the call by the Minister of Human Settlements, Comrade Tokyo Sexwale, for the demolition of the poorly built RDP houses, so that they can be rebuilt with the desired quality.

It is indeed a shame and an insult to our people to allow them to stay in brick shacks under the guise of service delivery. However we want to take the call further and call for a forensic investigation of all the shoddy projects in the province so that the culprits, both in construction and in government, are brought to book.

Our call is consistent with our resolve to fight corruption with everything we have. In fighting corruption that does not mean we should start with this government and leave the tendencies that manifested themselves in the past fifteen years, no ways. Corruption is corruption even if it happened many years ago; it can’t be left unattended.

It is therefore our view that in these tender processes, for every corrupt government official there is a corrupt businessman and vice versa. Hence it is important that if our government wants to root out corruption, both the corruptors and the corrupted must be harshly dealt with.

It is saddening to note that our people are still living in conditions of squalor even though claims are made that their lives have been improved through the provision of shelter. We do not just want shelter. We need decent houses for our people. Such badly built houses must be removed from the statistics of service delivery as they do not qualify to be there. In fact we need to have statistics of the low quality houses that they built for our people before they ran away to form COPE.

We are aware that the quality of the houses is influenced by the levels of looting between the corrupt officials and the corrupt business people. The poor the quality the more looting is bound to have taken place. This is what we mean by the diversion of resources into greedy individuals’ pockets.

This tendency of paying constructors in full before their projects are completed and thoroughly inspected must come to an end. These are the tendencies that lead to nation-wide service delivery protests. People are not protesting against their legitimate government, but rather they are protesting against corruption and corrupt elements within our public service.

No one should take the comments of the honourable member of COPE serious because it was during his term of office that houses in Soul City were build with bricks that are below standard. The honourable member of COPE was the MEC for local government and housing when those houses and many others in the province were built. It was his department during his term in office that started with the contravention of the housing code by undermining the fundamental principles of “quality and affordability”.

When we made noise and raised concerns about the poor workmanship at that point, he was the one who jumped to the defence of those projects. We cannot allow people like this to want to score cheap, selfish political gains with the mess they created and ran away. Our people are intelligent enough, they might be poor but they will never be misled by hypocrisy.

He is one of the people that ran away from the ANC because of the stance it took in Polokwane against corruption, cronyism and patronage and today he wants to play a moral game.

We are convinced now, more than ever, that the ANC remains the only vehicle for the liberation of our people from poverty, unemployment and conditions of squalor.

But off course the ANC will be able to do all this within the confines of a reconfigured alliance.

Our call goes to the department of human settlements and traditional affairs in the province to speed up the implementation of the Minister’s instruction to fix the damages that were caused by government to our people from as far back as when people like the honourable member of COPE and others were in government.

2.2 YCL responds to the ANC statement on Mathew Phosa

Alex Mashilo, YCL Provincial Secretary, Wednesday 4 November 2009

The YCLSA in Gauteng has noted the ANC’s statement released on Tuesday 3 November 2009 directed towards the YCL.

This was informed by our condemnation of utterances made by the ANC Treasurer General Mathew Phosa at the global haven of capitalism – Britain, when he said that nationalisation is neither the policy of the ANC nor government.

We believe that the ANC, particularly its leadership cannot lead society from a watered-down and deliberate selective interpretation of the Freedom Charter (1955). We remain firm on our position for nationalisation and socialisation of the commanding heights of the economy, as supported by the ANC Youth League.

The ANC’s 1969 Strategy and Tactics states that the movement’s “nationalism must not be confused with chauvinism or narrow nationalism…with the classical drive by an elitist group among the oppressed people to gain ascendancy so that they can replace the oppressor in the exploitation of the mass”. Our contention as the YCLSA is that certain policies and practices promoted from the point of formal liberation in 1994 serve to hide and erode the actual content of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) as articulated over the years. Confusions that the 1969 Strategy and Tactics warned against were entrenched along with the economic stranglehold of what the ANC’s 1979 Green Book identified as the enemy. The economic interests of the ruling class that thrived during and through colonialism and apartheid were not only allowed to remain intact. The White Monopoly Capital’s (WMC) ownership and control of the economy of our country were intensified for so long as a few, Black exploiters joined as subordinates in the exploitation of the mass.

All this were advanced and defended with the Freedom Charter gathering dust. The Charter spelled in no uncertain terms that “the national wealth of our country, the heritage of South Africans, shall be restored to the people; the mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole”. As the YCLSA we shall not allow to be recruited to an ideological sleep during which the economic interests of those who flourished from national oppression, class exploitation and gender domination are advanced.

We reiterate our position that there are sections of leadership in our country who may find it difficult to implement the Freedom Charter in its progressive form not because it is not viable, possible and noble, but because of their new found economic interests. It is clear to every thinking being that such leaders, by either default or design, represent at the same time their new, private economic interests as they oppose nationalisation and socialisation of the commanding heights of our economy.

Our determination for nationalisation and socialisation remains unshaken. We shall continue our campaign in this area until the national wealth of our country, the heritage of South Africans, the Banks and monopoly industry, are restored and transferred to the ownership of the people as whole. The realisation of this objective will go a long way towards the elimination of socio-economic inequality that is ravaging our country, among others into corruption, crime, the many service delivery crises and self-centred factional battles for the control of our formations.

2.3 ANCYL calls for criminalisation of alcohol advertisement

Floyd Shivambu, ANC YL National Spokesperson, 04 November 2009

The African National Congress Youth League has re-affirmed its position on the complete illegalisation of alcohol advertisements in all media channels, including Television, Radio, Newspapers, Magazines and Billboards.

The call for the banning of alcohol advertisements is linked to the Youth League’s broader campaign to reduce the consumption and abuse of alcohol, drugs and substances in our communities. We will soon be meeting with the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa

The abuse of intoxicating substances and alcohol in particular does not only negatively impact the wellbeing of the individuals consuming them, but distorts society and leads to other grave social ills such as crime, rapid spread of HIV/AIDS, poor health, low success rates in education, etc.

The ANC 52nd National Conference political report quoted a government scientific survey which read:

“Accordingly, in the past five years the areas with the greatest number of violent crimes were identified as those that are poor and economically depressed. These areas, which account for more than 50% of violent crime in South Africa comprise only 169 police station-areas out of 1 136 police station-areas in the country. The socio-economic profile of these areas is similar. There are few recreational facilities. Unemployment is high. There are many dysfunctional families. There are many shebeens and other alcohol outlets and the levels of substance abuse are very high”.

Further than that, the Medical Research Council’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Council scientifically say that the effects of alcohol dependence include the following:

· Alcohol misuse is causally implicated in a range of chronic health problems (e.g. cirrhosis of the liver). However, many of the primary effects of alcohol misuse occur from episodes of acute alcohol intoxication.

· Acute alcohol intoxication is associated with increased mortality and morbidity arising from intentional and non-intentional injuries.

· Acute alcohol intoxication is also associated with unsafe sexual practices and increased risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

· Alcohol misuse, combined with poor nutritional status, increases susceptibility to opportunistic diseases by compromising the immune system.

· The misuse of alcohol during pregnancy has been linked to fetal alcohol syndrome in infants.

· Alcohol misuse also impacts on the criminal justice system, with evidence of associations between drinking at risky levels, committing crime, or being a victim of crime.

Against these realities, South Africa cannot continue to celebrate alcohol and normalise it as part of our society. Coupled with the illegalisation of alcohol advertisement, the ANC YL will advocate for the following as decisive interventions to stop the free flow of alcohol in our communities:

Call for increased levels of law enforcement on illegal alcohol and drugs traders, including those who sell alcohol to people under the age of 18.
Call for greater investment in sporting, arts and recreational activities and facilities in communities and set a programme to attract more young people to partake in these activities.
Form partnerships with relevant government departments in the intensification of the campaign against alcohol, drugs and substance abuse.
Call for establishment of youth-friendly rehabilitation centres and programmes in communities to revive youth that are addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Campaign for a legislative intervention on the number of years young people are eligible to buy alcohol, with a focus of increasing the number of years from 18 to 21.
Call for immediate legislation on the illegalisation of Liquor Outlets closer to schools and institutions of higher learning.

The ANC Youth League will stop at nothing in ensuring that alcohol consumption in South Africa is radically reduced and all alcohol regulations and laws are properly enforced by our law enforcement agencies. We need a broader coalition of all stakeholders, including Unions, Civil Society formations, Non-governmental organisations, Community based organisations, Churches, Social Clubs and private individuals to join the campaign against alcohol, drugs and substances.

The ANC YOUTH LEAGUE CALLS ON THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BEING PARTNERS TO THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TO CONTACT THE ANC YOUTH HEAD OFFICE. Those interested in should contact Ontiretsi Pilane on 0796954396 and opi...@anc.org.za.

2.4 Media Statement by Minister Blade Nzimande on the transfer of Skills Development and Training Sector, 4th NOVEMBER 2009

From Sunday, 1 November 2009, the Department of Higher Education and Training assumed responsibility for the skills development and training sector in government. This is an exciting development in the post-election restructuring of government to be more responsive to the developmental, social and economic needs of our country.

We are now responsible for a range of institutions and public entities which were previously distributed across both the Departments of Education and of Labour. The Ministry of Higher Education and Training also hosts the secretariat of the Human Resource Development Strategy for South Africa, which is led by the Deputy President.

The creation of the Ministry and Department of Higher Education and Training provides an opportunity, at a critical moment in our history, for the creation of a coherent and single post-school education and training system that is structured both to meet the aspirations of youth and adults and to ensure that education, training and skills development initiatives respond to the requirements of the economy, our rural development challenges, and the need to develop an informed and critical citizenry.

During 2010, the Ministry will work with stakeholders to develop a policy framework for a diverse post school education and training system which will be responsive to identified challenges and our collective aspirations, including transformation imperatives.

The Further Education and Training College Sub-system

The Further Education and Training (FET) College subsystem has grown and changed over the last fifteen years, and further changes are anticipated with the move of the Colleges to a national function. Challenging work lies ahead to make Colleges institutions of choice for many more young people and adults.

The shape of our post-secondary system is not appropriately balanced between Universities and Colleges, and whilst access to universities must be increased, enrolment in Colleges must double in the next five years.

We will consolidate the institutional base for FET colleges in partnership with the skills development system and improve responsiveness to the needs of the economy. We will work closely with the National Board for Further Education and Training to review the impact of the some of the recent changes, particularly in the management and governance structures. The NBFET and the Ministry have agreed on an urgent national audit on individual institutional of governance and administration.

The Skills sub-system

Despite gains made to date in the area of skills development and training, the Ministry of Higher Education and Training must address a number of challenges which have limited the effectiveness of the policy intentions. These include:

How to build a viable system of education and training that will respond to the needs of adults and youth: the self-employed; the unemployed; those with unrecognized skills; as well as the employed
Improved coordination between the SETA system and education and training institutions, particularly FET Colleges and Universities of Technology
Negative perceptions of SETAs performance, management and governance
The unblocking of funds in the National Skills Fund which must include a review of systems, procedures and of decision making
Inadequate alignment of industry needs and provision of training and skills development and in particular the need to increase the supply of artisans and technicians.
Finalisation of industrial policy action plans to improve the effectiveness of skills development efforts. This is necessary to ensure the alignment of the Sector Skills Plans of the 23 SETAs to steer skills development strategies for the development of the labour force of our country.

The relocation of the skills development subsystem into the Ministry of Higher Education and Training thus provides an opportunity to reconceptualise strategies for skills development within the larger unified higher education and training system with positive potential impacts on the post school education and training system.

In meetings with the National Skills Authority (NSA) (which is responsible for advising the Minister on Skills Development policy) we have agreed that:

· The NSA needs to be strengthened in order to perform its expert advisory role

· The NSA must have administrative, policy and research capacity to support its work

· Alignment of the work of the NSA with HRD-SA is a priority

· The relationship between the NSA and other statutory bodies needs to be strengthened

Supporting the NSA to fulfil its important functions is a priority for my Ministry. A strategic planning session of the NSA with the Ministry is scheduled for the first week of December.

I have appointed the Director General for Higher Education and Training as the Chairperson of the NSA during this important period of transition in order to strengthen relationships between my Department and the NSA. This is an interim arrangement until a new NSA Chairperson is appointed.

I wish to also announce that after consultation with the National Skills Authority, I will be gazetting the extension of the National Skills Development Strategy II and current SETA licence by 1 year, from March 2010 to March 2011. I have informed all the Chairpersons of the Board of SETAs as well as their CEOs of this decision.

It is my considered view, supported by the NSA, that this extension is important to ensure alignment of the National Skills Development Strategy with HRD-SA and to allow some deliberation on the way forward. Current mechanisms contained in NSDS II will be emphasised in the Service Level Agreements between the DHET and SETAs for the 2010 financial year in order to ensure alignment with government’s strategic priorities and to focus on immediate priorities such as:

· SETA/FET College partnerships (particularly on training and placement)

· The provision of opportunities for work-based learning to accompany formal learning in Colleges and Universities of Technology

· Skills for rural development and cooperatives

· The training layoff scheme

· Intensified artisan training

SETAs will to continue with their current mandate and implement their 2010/11 Service Level Agreements as well as contribute to the new strategies to finalize NSDS III.

These extensions will ensure both continuity and change. Service delivery will continue, and be consolidated whilst the new Department of Higher Education and Training will take forward inclusive processes, with its social partners, to renew and refresh strategies, policy and institutions in order to strengthen the skills and human resource base of the country.

We will be actively pursuing collaborative relationships between the SETAs, the NSF, universities – especially universities of technology – and FETs in order to seek ways to release funds to grow the skills base.

We are working to ensure the smooth incorporation of the skills development and training component and look forward to building a strong, focused and performance team in the Department with an overall goal of creating synergy between formal education and workplace training. The move is set to overhaul the education and training landscape in South Africa and we invite the private sector and civil society to actively participate and join the skills revolution in our country.

2.5 Gauteng Economic Recovery Summit

3. Letters

3.1 Corruption and wasteful expenditure in government

Siboniso Nkomo, 4 November 2009

I am an ordinary South African worried about our Government. The Finance Minister will have to borrow money to ensure that the country is able to fulfill its obligations.

I am making a humble appeal that you force the comrades in government to reduce spending on themselves in the form of :

Salaries
Houses
Cars
perks
All form of wasteful expenditure.
Meeting in hotels for Administrations
Food (I believe too much money is spent on food by government)

At this stage our country can not afford this. Please put more pressure on them to stop this. Another point I want to raise is that within government if someone has stolen money it is not enough to suspend that person with pay. Fire the person and pay the balance of their package

Let’s get the Law change to accommodate the following.

Recover the money they have still.
Sell all their asserts
Confiscate their pension (if the law does not allow make an amendment)
Confiscate their life policy.
If their kids have policies for education or trust fund any future benefit that must be taken away as well.

This will send a massage that if I steal from the state I will not only loose my credibility my job but it will be my livelihood as well.

image001.png

image007.jpg

image010.jpg

image011.jpg

image002.png

image004.jpg

image006.jpg

image008.gif

image009.png

image017.jpg

image003.png

image005.jpg

Reply all

Reply to author

Forward

0 new messages