IF THE leaked public protector’s report on the upgrade to President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home was true, there must be accountability, Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said yesterday.
“There is no justification for spending R200-million on the house of the president,” he told delegates at Numsa’s special national congress in Boksburg on the East Rand.
“If the leaked report is true, we will demand accountability from the Department of Public Works and the president himself.”
Last month, the Mail & Guardian newspaper reported that Madonsela had found in her preliminary report that Zuma had misled Parliament, and had benefited substantially from a R206-million upgrade to his homestead in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.
Jim was delivering his secretariat report at the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s congress.
The union would discuss whether it should support the ANC in next year’s elections, among other things.
Jim said the union had to say no, even when it was difficult.
“As a union we cannot be found wanting when something is definitely wrong. There is a pattern of these wrong things and we have been keeping quiet.”
The union would wait for Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to release her official Nkandla report.
Jim said Chapter Nine institutions such as the public protector had to keep parliament accountable. He said Numsa was opposed to the classification of Madonsela’s report.
“This widely reported incident of Nkandla sets a terrible precedent.
“It comes from the office of the Presidency itself, in a country where a small elite are beneficiaries of our democratic breakthrough and not the masses of our people,” Jim said. He said Numsa would not be intimidated by those calling for the union to be investigated.
“There is a deliberate attempt to make sure Numsa is isolated,” he told delegates.
He claimed there was a move to try to suspend the union from the Congress of South African Trade Unions before the federation held its special congress.
Numsa was one of nine Cosatu affiliates which called on it to hold a special congress following the suspension of general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
Numsa, a Vavi ally, had brought a court application against Cosatu because of Vavi’s suspension.
At Cosatu’s last central executive committee, its president Sidumo Dlamini said an investigation was being conducted into disruptions of the trade union federation’s protests in some provinces.
Dlamini said affiliates were bound by Cosatu decisions and had to participate in its programmes. Numsa was one of the affiliates which did not participate in the protests.
At the time, Dlamini said Cosatu’s office bearers would hold talks with Numsa.
“They investigate everything, but no results you will find. We must tell them that we reject this and we won’t be intimidated by Sidumo and his investigations,” Jim told delegates.
He accused the SACP of continuously attacking Numsa, and said the gloves were now off.
“The party has clearly taken a decision to do whatever it can to try to divide Numsa in the build-up to our special congress.
“The relationship has degenerated to the lowest levels in our history as a union.” — Sapa
Numsa talks tough on leaked Nkandla report
“There is no justification for spending R200-million on the house of the president,” he told delegates at Numsa’s special national congress in Boksburg on the East Rand.
“If the leaked report is true, we will demand accountability from the Department of Public Works and the president himself.”
Last month, the Mail & Guardian newspaper reported that Madonsela had found in her preliminary report that Zuma had misled Parliament, and had benefited substantially from a R206-million upgrade to his homestead in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.
Jim was delivering his secretariat report at the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s congress.
The union would discuss whether it should support the ANC in next year’s elections, among other things.
Jim said the union had to say no, even when it was difficult.
“As a union we cannot be found wanting when something is definitely wrong. There is a pattern of these wrong things and we have been keeping quiet.”
The union would wait for Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to release her official Nkandla report.
Jim said Chapter Nine institutions such as the public protector had to keep parliament accountable. He said Numsa was opposed to the classification of Madonsela’s report.
“This widely reported incident of Nkandla sets a terrible precedent.
“It comes from the office of the Presidency itself, in a country where a small elite are beneficiaries of our democratic breakthrough and not the masses of our people,” Jim said. He said Numsa would not be intimidated by those calling for the union to be investigated.
“There is a deliberate attempt to make sure Numsa is isolated,” he told delegates.
He claimed there was a move to try to suspend the union from the Congress of South African Trade Unions before the federation held its special congress.
Numsa was one of nine Cosatu affiliates which called on it to hold a special congress following the suspension of general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
Numsa, a Vavi ally, had brought a court application against Cosatu because of Vavi’s suspension.
At Cosatu’s last central executive committee, its president Sidumo Dlamini said an investigation was being conducted into disruptions of the trade union federation’s protests in some provinces.
Dlamini said affiliates were bound by Cosatu decisions and had to participate in its programmes. Numsa was one of the affiliates which did not participate in the protests.
At the time, Dlamini said Cosatu’s office bearers would hold talks with Numsa.
“They investigate everything, but no results you will find. We must tell them that we reject this and we won’t be intimidated by Sidumo and his investigations,” Jim told delegates.
He accused the SACP of continuously attacking Numsa, and said the gloves were now off.
“The party has clearly taken a decision to do whatever it can to try to divide Numsa in the build-up to our special congress.
“The relationship has degenerated to the lowest levels in our history as a union.” — Sapa
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos