More than 36 000 jobs have been created through the establishment of the Job Creation Trust, said its chairperson, Willie Madisha, on Saturday.
These jobs include plumbing, brick-making, agriculture, baking, cattle farming, sewing and construction, said Madisha, addressing the trust’s annual awards evening in Sunnyside Park Hotel in Parktown on Saturday. He said the trustees have contributed to the rise in job creating.
”Exactly 10 years ago, we convened the Presidential Jobs Summit in our quest to bring about the eradication of unemployment in our country.
”[From] that summit [came] a common commitment by all working South Africans who took it upon themselves to establish a trust to which they would contribute funds to realise that common goal.”
More than R89-million was contributed towards the fund. The trust has disbursed R41-million to projects and committed more than R53-million.
It was also resolved that the trust move from concentrating on smaller, cooperative projects. ”The reality is that given the immense challenges and poverty we face, we need to evolve projects in order to help address bigger challenges,” said Madisha.
The trust will also be partnering with government departments and other institutions.
Objection
Earlier on Saturday, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said Madisha would be defying the union if he addressed the awards ceremony. Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said in a statement that Madisha had already defied Cosatu in chairing the trust’s last meeting.
The union federation had advised Madisha in writing that he could no longer chair the board of the trust or act on behalf of Cosatu ”in any way”, said Vavi.
The union axed Madisha as its president in February over his involvement in a scandal over a missing South African Communist Party donation.
However, he has since appealed against his dismissal, claiming he was unfairly discriminated against, and that he should be reinstated as Cosatu president and financially compensated.
”It is only logical now that he is no longer the president of Cosatu [that] he can no longer act on behalf of the federation in any capacity, including being the chairperson of the board of the Job Creation Trust,” said Vavi.
”It has been brought to our attention that he will be officiating at some Job Creation Trust function on Saturday to which the media have been invited. If this happens, this will be in defiance of the wishes of the Cosatu family of unions.”
He said a meeting of the Cosatu-appointed trustees to the board would be held on May 6 to discuss this matter and make a proposal on who should replace Madisha. — Sapa