Photo by: Reuters
Anti-corruption demonstrators delivered memoranda at offices of the Gauteng legislature, the South African Chamber of Mines and the SA Reserve Bank on Wednesday.
The march, organised by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), saw political parties such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Congress of the people (COPE) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM) join, along with watchdog organisation Corruption Watch, the Right2Know campaign, various religious groups and civil organisations.
The march is protected in line with Section 77 of the labour relations act, guaranteeing no disciplinary action against employees who took time off work to march
At the provincial legislature, NUMSA secretary Irvin Jim said South Africans had achieved political freedom, but not economic freedom.
He said his union would form a trade union federation and a workers’ political party because other political and labour formations had failed.
“This is now an independent union and it will not be converted into a political party, it will instead be a catalyst for workers,” he said to cheering marchers.
“They think we are joking in mobilising workers to build a new federation and a new political party to stand up for the working class.”
Numsa was expelled from trade union federation the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) earlier this year for bringing the federation into disrepute.
In the memorandum, the marchers demanded that national Treasury compile names of all state entities and departments that do not procure from local businesses as required by policy. They also called on the SA Revenue Services and the SA Financial Intelligence Centre to investigate illicit financial flows out of the country, transfer pricing, money laundering and to take strong action against the culprits.
They also demanded the strengthening of the offices of the Public Protector and that of the Auditor-General.
“The trick of trying to push for the merger of the public protector’s office and the Human Rights Commission being cooked by Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete, using the Kader Asmal 2007 report, should be resisted,” read the memorandum.
Public Enterprises official Mzwandile Radebe received the memorandum on behalf of government.
Representatives from the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) from Limpopo demanded that mines prioritise the needs of surrounding communities.
They called for mines to institute community shareholder schemes, employment of local youth and that relocated families away from mining operations be be accorded necessary incentives.
The chamber’s head of stakeholder relations, Vusi Mabena, accepted the memorandum and promised to forward issues raised to management.
Former Cosatu secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and COPE leader Musioua Lekota had addressed the marchers earlier.
NUMSA demanded that all entities respond to its memorandum by October 20.