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IOL News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Zwelinzima Vavi calls MK Party leader Jacob Zuma 'worst thing South Africa has ever experienced'
Secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), Zwelinzima Vavi, believes that former President Jacob Zuma was the "worst thing South Africa has ever experienced". Former president Jacob Zuma was the "worst thing South Africa has ever experienced," general secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), Zwelinzima Vavi, said. "In my view, Jacob Zuma was the worst thing that this country has ever experienced and I'm not saying this because of the expectations we had about what he was going to do for the working class in South Africa," he said. Vavi was speaking during an interview on the EFF Podcast on Thursday. The veteran trade union leader said Zuma was the worst thing the country has ever experienced. In response, MK Party National spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela defended Zuma, labeling Vavi as "irrelevant" and accusing him of using the former president's name to maintain his own relevance. "Vavi is an irrelevant trying to be relevant using President Zuma's name," Ndhlela told IOL.
IOL News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
SAFTU rallies for workers' rights on International Workers' Day
Workers unite: South African Federation Trade Union's message on International Workers' Day Image: Motshwari Mofokeng/Independent Newspapers South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) marked the International Workers' Day with a rallying cry for solidarity against government austerity measures, proposed labour law amendments, and the widening inequality gap. In a statement issued on Thursday by SAFTU, the federation's General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, highlighted workers' ongoing struggles and the importance of collective action. Vavi underscored May Day's roots, recalling the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, where police opened fire on workers demanding an eight-hour workday. 'No right was given freely—every gain was won through mass struggle,' he stated. 'Today, we are in solidarity with workers worldwide who continue to fight for dignity and justice. In South Africa, May Day is more than a commemoration; it's a call to action. 'It's a day of battle—a day to renew our fight against capitalist exploitation and racial oppression,' Vavi declared. Current Challenges Facing Workers Vavi painted a stark picture of South Africa's socio-economic landscape, warning of an 'onslaught' on workers' rights. He condemned austerity policies, corporate greed, and the erosion of hard-won gains. 'Our communities are being torn apart by policies prioritizing profits over people,' he said. Recent protests in Cape Town and across the country, where workers marched against a proposed VAT hike—the union describing it as a 'tax on the poor'—sparked this renewed activism. SAFTU also welcomed a recent court victory by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which challenged the government's VAT implementation, exposing authorities' lawlessness. Exposing Political Betrayal Vavi accused the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's main opposition, of hypocrisy. While publicly opposing VAT increases, the DA allegedly plotted to weaken public services, sabotaging efforts like the National Health Insurance (NHI), blocking education reforms, and privatising state assets. 'The DA's game is not to defend the poor but to serve big business; we must reject their treachery and build our power,' Vavi charged. Vavi painted a stark picture of South Africa's socio-economic landscape, warning of an 'onslaught' on workers' rights. He condemned austerity policies, corporate greed, and the erosion of hard-won gains. 'Our communities are being torn apart by policies prioritising profits over people,' he said. Recent protests in Cape Town and across the country, where workers marched against a proposed VAT hike—the union describing it as a 'tax on the poor'—sparked this renewed activism. SAFTU also welcomed a recent court victory by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which challenged the government's VAT implementation, exposing authorities' lawlessness. Exposing Political Betrayal Vavi accused the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's main opposition, of hypocrisy. While publicly opposing VAT increases, the DA allegedly plotted to weaken public services, sabotaging efforts like the National Health Insurance (NHI), blocking education reforms, and privatizing state assets. 'The DA's game is not to defend the poor but to serve big business; we must reject their treachery and build our power,' Vavi charged. Threats to Workers' Rights SAFTU warned of a broader assault on workers' rights through proposed amendments to labor laws and the draft Code of Good Practice on Dismissal. These, they argued, threaten to legitimise arbitrary dismissals, workplace discrimination, and union busting. 'These proposals are a declaration of war,' Vavi emphasises. The union called for mass resistance, urging workers to reject these changes and defend their rights to strike, organise, and resist. Land and Worker Struggles: The Voice of the Land Party SA The Land Party SA issued a statement linking worker struggles with land justice, adding depth to the ongoing conversation. Avela Sithonga, Head of Communications, reflected on worker resistance's historical and ongoing significance, tying it to land struggles and anti-capitalist resistance. 'The Marikana massacre, where 34 mineworkers lost their lives protesting exploitation, remains a stark reminder of the brutal response to worker dissent,' Sithonga said. 'Worker struggles are inherently land struggles.' He called for a united front against systemic land dispossession, emphasising that land restitution is essential for true emancipation. 'The Land Party continues to urge all Africans to invest in the fight to reclaim the land as a cornerstone of liberation.' Tributes were paid to fallen workers worldwide, including those killed during the 2012 Marikana massacre. Sithonga condemned the government's use of police to terrorise activists and called on unemployed South Africans to demand job creation. 'We condemn the government's use of police to intimidate workers and activists,' he stated. 'There are no rights worth fighting for without jobs. We call for abolishing minimum wages below the taxable income and introducing a genuine living wage.' He emphasised strengthening local manufacturing to boost economic growth and reduce unemployment 'A prosperous economy depends on a government committed to prioritising people's needs.' [email protected] IOL Politics The Roots of the Land Party SA Sithonga recounted how the Land Party emerged from struggles over land access and racial discrimination in employment. He stated that the party fought against illegal dismissals and defended landless protesters, notably in Hermanus. 'The Land Party became a beacon of hope against racial discrimination and for fair working conditions,' he said. He also highlighted that the party has intervened in construction projects in Stanford, advocating for local employment, and fought exploitation of undocumented workers by some local companies, where migrant workers face low pay and poor conditions. Much like SAFTU, Sithonga criticised the DA's policies in Western Cape, which he says encouraged exploitation and contributed to workplace accidents, including last year's deadly collapse in George. 'We demand that South Africans get priority in leasing public buildings and that racial discrimination in workplaces ends,' he declared. On the anniversary of their march for local employment, Sithonga called for continued resistance against capitalism.
Eyewitness News
01-05-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
COSATU and SAFTU set to lead annual Workers Day commemoration in parts of the country
JOHANNESBURG - Trade union federations COSATU and SAFTU are set to lead the annual Workers Day commemoration in parts of the country on Thursday. The public holiday holds profound significance in South Africa in its fight for fair employment standards, including better working conditions and fair wages. But this year's instalment again comes at a time when socioeconomic challenges shadow progress made in the labour sector. COSATU leader Zingiswa Losi is set to deliver the union federation's annual address in Mpumalanga, joined by African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa and SACP leader Solly Mapaila in what's also known globally as May Day. In 1986, COSATU called a two-day general strike where more than 1.5 million workers stayed away in a defining moment that brought the apartheid economy to a standstill. The resistance grew in the years to come, with the calls for labour reforms becoming too hard to ignore. But decades later, South African workers are still faced with challenges such as job insecurity, inadequate wages and unsafe working environments. Lobby group Free SA says there's little cause for celebration when the unemployment rate sits at a staggering 31.9%, one of the highest in the world. READ: Workers' Day: Unemployment will continue to worsen under ANC rule, says DA's Steenhuisen Labour unions and some political parties are expected to spend today at a number of rallies with commitments to address what remains undone.
