Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa has cautioned that the newly-elected ANC Top 6 will change little to advance the life of the poor, especially mineworkers.
Mathunjwa says newly-elected ANC president, Cyril Ramaphosa’s proposed National Minimum Wage of R20 per hour for workers, that the union opposes, highlight what he says are darker days ahead.
He reiterated that Ramaphosa still needs to physically go to Marikana to apologise again for what he says are his links to the killing of 34 mineworkers. This is despite Ramaphosa being exonerated by the Farlam Commission that was investigating the killings.
Mathunjwa says, “If the ANC was serious about radical economic transformation as it was ushered by the workers at Marikana and the Platinum Belt – which they have paid the highest price … they were massacred by the state of which the current elected president of the ANC was highly implicated. Surely, the radical economic transformation will remain a pipe deal. So, hence we are doubtful that we will see any tangible changes.”
Meanwhile, Cosatu says that it expects Ramaphosa to run a leadership that is sympathetic to worker issues.
Cosatu endorsed Ramaphosa as its preferred candidate before the current ANC elective conference.
Cosatu President Sdumo Dlamini says that since Ramaphosa has been a trade union leader and understands the labour sector, his leadership must ensure that it challenges monopoly capital in whatever form it presents itself.
“We are tired of being told by the ratings agencies on how we should run the country. I see them today say we are happy because Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa is now the president and the rand picks up four points basis. Look, that has to stop. We need leadership that tells everybody in South Africa that we want to change our course in this way and everybody must respect that.”
