President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday in Parliament condemned the violence that has marked protests during the ongoing public-service strike — but opposition parties expressed concern about police officers joining the strike in sympathy as well as trade-union leaders’ ”message of selfish own interests”.
”What kind of society are we building and what moral lessons are we imparting when insults, violence against fellow workers and damage to property become the stock-in-trade during protests of this kind?” Mbeki asked MPs in the National Assembly on Tuesday during debate on the Presidency’s budget vote.
He said he strongly condemns ”the irresponsible element that has used the negotiation process to engage in unacceptable criminal activities” and called on union leaders involved in the negotiations to ”look closely” at the government’s wage proposals.
”In the present salary negotiations, among other things, government is proposing the introduction of a new salary structure which would appropriately reward professionals in the medical, nursing and legal fields, as well as educators and social workers.
”I therefore trust … that worker representatives will utilise the existing channels to look closely at the proposals on the table in order to reach an agreement that, inter alia, would benefit the professionals in the public service, and therefore the public whom they are employed to serve.”
Mbeki said he is confident ”that, in time, government as employer and the public-service unions will find one another and bring to a conclusion the current negotiations”.
They will do so, he said, ”informed by the objectives to realise a wage settlement that improves the salaries of the employees, ensures appropriate reward for good performance, and acknowledges the unique contribution of public professionals, and is at the same time affordable and therefore sustainable”.
Economy
Economic growth in South Africa is breaking historical records, Mbeki told MPs. He said that by September this year, the economy ”will have been growing for eight solid years, longer than ever before in the recorded economic history of our country”.
Further, the current rate of growth has remained at a steady high level for longer than ever before in the country’s history. ”Since 2004, real incomes per person, on average, have risen at around 4% a year; and more than 500 000 new jobs have been created annually since September 2004.”
Mbeki said investment has risen steadily from 14,7% of GDP in the first quarter of 2002 to 19,2% of GDP in the final quarter of last year. ”In the last quarter of 2006, investment grew at an annualised rate of 16%, well ahead of out Asgisa targets of 10% a year.”
These figures are not contested by experts, he said, except for those who say the government might be undercounting some of the key numbers. ”We are now creating jobs more rapidly than ever before in our history,” he said.
Control of strike
During debate on Mbeki’s budget vote, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) appealed to him to ensure the public-sector strike ”does not get out of hand”.
ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe said of greatest concern are threats by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and some metro police officers to join the strike in sympathy with public servants. Popcru president Zizamele Cebekhulu was reported to have said that the spectre of unmanned prisons and police stations was a possibility.
This, to say the least, should worry all law-abiding citizens, said Meshoe. ”Besides urgently applying for a court interdict, we want to know what government is going to do to prevent such threats from becoming a reality. We do not want to see soldiers confronting armed police officers that are on strike. A clash of armed forces must be avoided at all cost.
”While the nation appreciates press conferences by government ministers to keep them informed about the latest regarding wage negotiations, we nevertheless believe the president is the best person to give concerned citizens the assurance that an amicable solution to the impasse will be found within the next few days, and that this costly strike will not be allowed to get out of hand,” Meshoe said.
He also expressed concern about the ”cruel actions” of some strikers who are intimidating and victimising patients seeking medical treatment at public hospitals. Reports about paramedics being prevented from giving emergency medical care to desperate patients are deplorable.
”While we understand government’s frustration and decision to fire striking nurses, we want to know what government is planning to do about nurses who do go to work, but choose to watch television in staff rooms rather than attend to patients,” Meshoe said.
Freedom Front Plus (FF+) leader Pieter Mulder said it is becoming clear that Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) leaders are abusing thousands of public-service employees to fight their bigger political fight against Mbeki.
While it is the task of leaders to give the people hope, many leaders do not do so because they are selfishly looking only after their own interests. ”If I look at the strike, I get this message,” he said.
The FF+ has expressed its support for better salaries for teachers and nurses, but the way in which trade-union leaders are now acting sends a message of selfish own interests — this while many poor unemployed South Africans observe the strikes.
”What is worse is that it is now becoming clear that the Cosatu leaders are abusing thousands of public-service employees to fight their bigger political fight against President Mbeki. These employees are losing their jobs and millions of rands,” Mulder said.
Constitutional amendment
Also during debate, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi proposed that the Constitution be amended to separate the head of state from the head of government.
South Africa’s constitutional system is being weakened by attacks and controversies that have undermined the dignity and effectiveness of the Presidency, he said. ”This is not a party political issue, but it is a matter which should concern every South African as the president is the face of South Africa,” he said.
The Presidency, as an institution, should represent the entire South African nation and be above reproach, attack and political controversy. ”Because our head of state is also our head of government, it becomes unavoidable for the entire Presidency to be drawn in, and tarnished by, the mad swinging which often characterises politics and the arduous task of governing a democratic country.”
No democratic government has been spared a constant stream of attacks. ”But ours is not a consolidated and mature democracy. As we can see, too much vitriol and venom is being splashed on the Presidency in the process than is warranted, all in the name of democracy. Our people need a point of reference which they may respect at all times.
”What is happening on the streets of South Africa speaks volumes. There are many who feel that they are striking and rebelling against the president, who in fact carries the final executive responsibility of all actions of our government,” Buthelezi said. ”Unless we take action now, the crisis in which the Presidency is now engulfed may continue into the future.
”Acting not just as the president of the IFP, but as one of South Africa’s senior leaders, I have tabled today the 17th Constitution Amendment Bill, which is a Private Member’s Bill, to amend our Constitution to separate the head of state from the head of government so that from the next elections, we may have both a president and a prime minister.”
The president would be exercising a balancing role in the functioning of institutions and in the dynamics of politics by operating above politics itself. He or she would represent the country both in respect of ceremonial functions and, when the occasion demanded, in international affairs.
The president would have the power to appoint the prime minister subject to parliamentary approval. He or she would also have a significant role in making crucial appointments to offices that ought to be above daily party politics. The prime minister would serve at the will of the parliamentary majority.
”This will make our government more accountable and strengthen the centrality, power and relevance of our Parliament. We need an urgent national debate on whether South Africa would be better served by a president and prime minister rather than by a Presidency which combines both roles,” Buthelezi said.
World Cup
During his budget-vote speech, Mbeki also said South Africa will host a better Soccer World Cup in 2010 than Germany did last year. He told MPs that when Fifa president Sepp Blatter visits South Africa again later this week, he will find the country ”well on course” with its preparations to host the event.
”I have no doubt that our local organising committee, government at all levels and everybody concerned will do the necessary work to guarantee that we host a better tournament in 2010 than the excellent 2006 German World Cup,” Mbeki said.
His message was reinforced by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka later in the debate. The 2010 Soccer World Cup is ”already the most successful Fifa World Cup ever”, she told the House. It has generated $3,2-billion in signed agreements, more than any other World Cup.
”In addition, Fifa has donated $70-million towards the legacy programme, our government has approved R19-billion-worth of infrastructure, and South African companies have invested more than R700-million into this event,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
Zimbabwe
Mbeki also said he has been encouraged by the attitude of Zimbabwe’s government and opposition since being tasked to mediate an end to their bitter feud.
”We … are encouraged in this regard by the positive attitude evinced by the protagonists in that country,” he told MPs. The parties ”do recognise that the people of Zimbabwe expect of them nothing less than concrete action to extricate them from the difficulties they face currently”.
Mbeki was asked in March by fellow leaders of the South African Development Community to mediate between the regime of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change ahead of elections next year.
Mbeki, who has refused to publicly criticise Mugabe as part of a heavily criticised policy of quiet diplomacy, reiterated that ”we intend to move with speed in executing this mandate”. — Sapa