The ANC’s allies in the so called tripartite alliance have criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa for not acting against defiant basic education minister Siviwe Rwarwube who refused to attend the signing ceremony for the Bella Bill citing her party’s opposition to parts of it.
In retaliation, the biggest teacher union, SADTU, a dominant affiliate in Cosatu has snubbed the minister by not inviting her to its national conference underway in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.
Rwarwube is the first minister in the education portfolio to be snubbed by the union since the dawn of democracy and now the alliance partners want her taken to task over what they believe is gross disrespect of the president.
The two organisations’ top leaders were scheduled to address the conference and spoke to journalists on the sidelines.
“If the president was really in control and had the authority of the state, it that we are made to believe he is the one who appoints and disappoints ministers, that minister should have been fired the same day she showed him the middle finger, she should have been fired in the evening,” said SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila.
Mapaila also questioned the president’s seemingly accommodative approach in dealing with right wing groups Afri-Forum and Solidarity after they recently took credit for making Ramaphosa to stall the signing into law of certain parts of the Bella bill as well as halting implementation of sections of the National Health Insurance otherwise known as the NHI.
While Cosatu has been modest in its criticism of the Government of National Unity ( particularly the involvement of DA and Freedom Front +), the SACP has been less diplomatic with Mapaila labelling Ramaphosa and the entire current leadership of the ANC as sellouts.
Mapaila said Rwarube’s defiance was just the beginning of many things that are to go wrong in the GNU.
Just hours before, Deputy President Paul Mashatile had just guaranteed SADTU delegates that Labour rights were not under immediate threat in the GNU, an assertion that Mapaila suggested was perhaps a bit optimistic.
“I want to say to you comrades that the gains made by workers are not about to be reversed. Yes some have said, the GNU meant a reversal of everything but I can say to you on the ANC’s behalf that over our dead body”, said Mashatile adding the GNU’s hundred days milestone is worth celebrating and a sign that the coalition will finish the five year term.
“I congratulate the deputy president for being optimistic but us as revolutionary we can see where this thing is going and we intend fighting it to the bitter end because we don’t understand why our movement can just handover power to the oppressive and racist right wing formations whose sole purpose is to preserve the status quo of inequality and ensuring that the face of poverty remains black,” said Mapaila.
The conference is meant to elect a new leadership for the powerful teacher union.
