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Date
: 12/05/2005
Source: The Presidency
Title:Zuma: National Union of Mineworkers Central Committee
Meeting
Address by Deputy President Zuma at the National Union of
Mineworkers Central Committee Meeting, Gallagher Estate,
Midrand
President of the National Union of Mineworkers Senzeni
Zokwana
General Secretary, Gwede Mantashe
General Secretary of the SACP, Blade Nzimande
Secretary General of COSATU, Zwelinzima Vavi
Members of the Central Committee
Leadership of the Tripartite Alliance
Comrades from sister countries in the continent Comrades and
Friends
We meet exactly 11 years and two days since the inauguration of our
first democratically elected President Nelson Mandela, on 10 May
1994.
The struggles of the workers of our country were instrumental in
making that day a reality. The heroes of working class struggles
therefore remain uppermost in our minds this year.
The Madiba inauguration anniversary also reminds us of the pivotal
role and significance of the Tripartite Alliance. It is a period
for us to recommit ourselves to keep this Alliance as strong and as
powerful as ever, for it to continue playing a leading role in the
process of transforming and rebuilding our country.
Comrades, this year we celebrate 50 years of the formation of South
African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) and 20 years of the
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
It is appropriate therefore to salute the leadership of the working
class such as Moses Kotane, Edwin Mofutsanyana, JB Marks, Moses
Mabhida and Elijah Barayi and many leaders who played a critical
role in the formation of the vibrant working class movement in our
country. But most importantly we are also celebrating 50 years of
the Freedom Charter, that living document that still continues to
guide and inspire us in all our work.
We understand the correctness of Oliver Tambo in 1980 when he
said:
"The Freedom Charter contains the fundamental perspective of the
vast majority of the people of South Africa of the kind of
liberation that we all of us are fighting for. Hence it is not
merely the Freedom Charter of the African National Congress and its
allies. Rather it is the Charter of the people of South Africa for
liberation
“Because it came from the people, it remains still a people's
Charter, the one basic political statement of our goals to which
all genuinely democratic and patriotic forces of South Africa
adhere."
That statement remains valid even today!
Comrades, as the central committee meets there are a number of
challenges that face members of NUM, especially in the mining
sector.
A key aspect is the question of mine safety. It was with deep shock
and sadness that we learnt of the tragic death of five miners at
the Driefontein Goldfields mine near Carletonville, and the
injuries sustained by three other miners. We extend our condolences
to families of the miners who lost their lives, and wish the
injured miners a speedy recovery.
This incident brings into sharp focus once again the need to ensure
that safety standards are improved in the mines.
We take this and all other such incidents very seriously as
government and will continue to work with all stakeholders to
ensure the improvement in safety standards.
Another challenge facing the NUM is that of job losses, especially
in the mining industry which shed about 10 000 jobs during the
2003/2004 financial year.
It is encouraging that the situation is not all doom and gloom,
given that during the same period, the platinum mining sector
created more than 20 000 jobs.
We therefore need to ensure that the positives that are gained in
one sector of the mining industry benefit other sectors which are
experiencing difficulties. Such positives should not be ignored and
should be used in a co-ordinated way to protect jobs within the
industry. I trust that the Central Committee in its deliberations
will address itself to this issue, and engage government and other
partners on its resolutions and recommendations.
Comrades, when the transformation of our country began in 1994, it
happened against the background of a negotiated settlement. One of
the results of this transition was that while the majority gained
political power, economic power remained in the hands of the
minority. Since 1994, it has been our goal to progressively
transform the economy so that it benefits the majority of our
people.
Over the past 11 years we have been moving forward with that
agenda. The fundamental intervention has been to continue to
transform our economy to ensure that all citizens are able to
participate fully and enjoy the benefits. The strategies of
bridging the gap between the first and second economies in our
country should be seen within that context.
Some of the second economy interventions include the Expanded
Public Works Programme and an agricultural credit scheme for
emerging farmers.
We have transferred R100 million to the provinces for Farmer
Support Programmes.
We are also setting up an APEX fund for micro-credit for very small
businesses. In addition, we will be amending several laws this year
to encourage the promotion of cooperatives and banking services for
the poor.
Examples are the amendment to the Co-operatives Act, and the new
Co-operative Banks Bill and Dedicated Banks Bill.
For us to make a decisive impact on these programmes, it is
critical that we achieve the six percent growth rate we are aiming
for. In this regard, the partnership between labour, government and
business is of utmost importance.
For example, if we seek to increase domestic investment from our
private sector, we have to work with business and labour, to
identify and develop the best investment projects we can. We have
discussed the matter with the private sector and labour and are in
agreement that we have to develop more effective industrial
policies.
We want to build on the experience we have gained in other sectors,
for example the tourism and motor industry, where government and
its social partners worked well together in developing and
implementing successful strategies.
Comrades, it is also critical that we should, in response to the
challenge of globalisation, accelerate skills development within
the workplace. There is a tendency sometimes to view skills
development in terms of the youth, while ignoring the necessity of
re-skilling the workers on the shop floor.
In the information communications technology age, workers need to
have competitive skills that can enable them to find jobs easily,
and also to be able to set up their own small enterprises. The
Expanded Public Works Programme seeks to deal with this challenge,
through providing not only short-term job opportunities but skills
to enable participants to make a living beyond the lifespan of the
project.
Our economy also remains short of key technical skills such as
welders and electricians. We therefore need to get our industrial
training systems and our formal education systems working together
effectively.
We believe that we are making progress in this respect. For
example, the departments of Labour and Education are working
together to reorganise the Further Education and Training system to
make it responsive to the needs of our economy.
Looking beyond our borders, the National Union of Mineworkers has
always been internationalist in outlook, and has also always been
actively part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
region in a particular way, given that hundreds of mine workers
also come from the SADC region.
In this era of the African Renaissance, let us look at enhancing
these relationships, and to strengthen links with the labour
movement in the continent, to encourage meaningful worker
participation in the socio-economic development of our region and
in the fight against poverty and underdevelopment.
Let me wish you all the best as you deliberate on the issues that
face NUM in particular, and the trade union movement and working
class in general.
Most of all, I trust that your deliberations will also focus on
strengthening the Alliance and ensuring that it remains united and
focused on the broader tasks of consolidating democracy and
transforming this country into a truly non-racial, non-sexist
democracy, with equal opportunities for all, especially the workers
who have worked so hard to achieve this new dispensation.
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