African National Congress, Comrade Edna Molewa, at the National Union of
Mineworkersâ regional rally, Matlosana region, Klerksdorp
9 July 2006
Programme Director
President of the National Union of Mineworkers, Cde Senzeni Zokwana
NUM Secretary-General, Cde Frans Baleni
Members of the COSATU Central Executive present
Representatives of the Alliance Partner the South Africa Communist Party
NUM Klerksdorp Regional Chairperson
Regional Secretary
Comrades and Friends!
It is my distinguished honour to address this important regional rally of
the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) here in Matlosana.
The relationship between the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), of which the National Union of
Mineworkers is an affiliate, has stood the test of time.
I come to this congress knowing fully well that I have come to address my
comrades in arms. Our relationship as ANC and COSATU was forged in the struggle
against apartheid and the struggle for workersâ rights.
Today, we continue that struggle in the terrain of democracy, united by our
common goals and programmes towards the elimination of poverty and
unemployment.
Over the years, the trade union movement and the NUM in particular, have
been an incredibly fertile breeding ground for leaders not only of our Alliance
but of the democratic government itself.
We value this glorious history of the mineworkers as trainers of our
leaders, taking them from the ground, imbuing them with the urgent sense of our
National Democratic Revolution and ensuring that they then become the
custodians of the gains of our struggle and democracy.
In fact, during the 1980s, Comrades used to say all COSATU leaders are
strong leaders because when they reported back from negotiations with
employers, workers would tell them in no uncertain terms that they would not
compromise and forced them back to the table until all workersâ demands are
met.
The names of Elijah Barayi, Cyril Ramaphosa and Kgalema Motlanthe all serve
to remind us of that glorious tradition. They serve to inspire us to continue
our task of building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, united and
prosperous South Africa. In this, we are all united.
More than Gauteng or Limpopo, we also pride ourselves in the North West
Province being the heartland of platinum mining. We are called the Platinum
Province for a good reason. We can say without fear of contradiction that our
province is South Africaâs richest province in minerals. Mining provides more
than 20% of employment in the province and more than 40% of all labour
remuneration.
We therefore count mineworkers as our critical partners in the Provincial
Growth and Development Strategy and in the rapid growth of our province into a
prosperous community, whose growth and resources are shared by the people.
As a matter of fact, our mining legislation, along with the official
Broad-Based Economic Empowerment programme, as well as the Mining Charter, has
begun to open the mining sector to new and smaller mining interests
historically imprisoned in the Second Economy.
However, I must warn that we will not take kindly to the exploitation and
deliberate manipulation of our people by certain trust funds that purport to be
furthering the objectives of the Mining Charter, when in fact they just pay our
people peanuts so that they can keep the lionâs share of all profit from our
mineral resources.
We hear of instances where our Traditional Authorities are duped into
signing deals without being given the full value of what they are signing, in
some cases communities being left with just a school and a clinic from the
proceeds of such deals. We think the National Union of Mineworkers must assist
in protecting and empowering these communities.
Comrades
As Governmentâs Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa
(AsgiSA) gains momentum, we believe that the NUM will assist us in reaching the
kinds of targets that we have said are necessary not only to achieve growth,
but for that growth to be shared.
Like all government programmes, AsgiSA adopts an approach of partnership and
inclusion because of our understanding that government, acting alone, will not
be able to achieve the goals set out by the National Democratic Revolution,
particularly our offensive against economic exclusion and working towards an
economy that benefits all, including the workers.
As I have said, successive leadership of the trade union movement has
ensured that we move collectively to advance the goals of the National
Democratic Revolution.
Recently, as part of its revolutionary commitment, the trade union movement
led by COSATU ensured a resounding victory for the African National Congress in
the local government elections. We value this important contribution by the
workers.
These workers and their leaders will therefore be squarely within their
democratic rights to demand that local government accelerates the delivery of
basic services like water and sanitation, electricity and the general
improvement of our local communities. We dare not fail them!
There are other numerous challenges that we must face together as unions and
the ANC-led government. These challenges include our comprehensive fight to
combat the spread of HIV and AIDS, promoting good nutrition, inculcating social
and sexual morals, teaching the ABC of our prevention campaign and the
provision of antiretrovirals where they are needed.
As with all our progressive programmes of building a better life for all our
people, we are assured of the support and cooperation of the trade union
movement and the NUM in these endeavours.
But more importantly today, we have come to cement the bridge we have built
with the National Union of Mineworkers across our mining communities in
Klerksdorp, Merafong, Rustenburg and other areas.
We have come to reiterate that your concerns are our concerns. Your
challenges are our challenges and that we can only overcome these when we pull
together as partners in the advancement of the National Democratic
Revolution.
We understand fully that the social conditions of all the historically
oppressed people, especially the workers, must be continued to be addressed as
a matter of urgency. This we will continue to do.
As Comrade Joel Netshitenzhe has rightly said, âWe cannot draw pride at
managing macro-economic realities in a manner that seeks to perpetuate rather
than improve what we inherited from apartheidâ.
The historical obligation to bury the legacy of apartheid and colonialism,
of working in a determined fashion to build a non-racial, non-sexist,
democratic, united and prosperous South Africa overrides all other
obligations.
We will continue to work with our trade union movement, COSATU and the
National Union of Mineworkers in particular, to achieve the goals set out in
the National Democratic Revolution.
It has been an honour for me to address this regional rally of the National
Union of Mineworkers and may you have a hugely successful rally!
Amandla!
I thank you.
Issued by: North West Provincial Government
9 July 2006
