COSATU Free State has noted with anger the developments in Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality that began with water shortages and electricity blackouts a couple of years ago. We started raising these issues with the Provincial Government and the African National Congress in 2016. It is disappointing that nothing has changed.

The situation is such that the community have declared a total shutdown in the area resulting in many access roads being blockaded. We are therefore disappointed that some employers are threatening messages to workers to go to work. This will put the lives of our members, their families and/or their properties at risk.

These employers are insensitive to the socio-economic conditions of the workers. They are also ignoring what is happening in the community.

Clearly these employers only see workers as a pair of working hands and regard only themselves as humans. We condemn this thinking in the strongest possible terms. 

We call on such employers to desist from such irresponsible actions. We are currently taking the matters up with the specific employers whose actions have been brought to our attention. 

We further make a call to the Provincial Government, Department of Water Affairs & Fisheries as well as Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality to remedy the situation with immediate effect in order to normalize the situation. It is completely unacceptable that the situation ended up where it is now and no amount of explanation and/or apologies can justify such!

 

Issued by COSATU Free State