The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on Monday condemned Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni’s refusal to accept a petition they wanted to hand over last week.
The union had marched to the South African Reserve Bank offices in Pretoria last Wednesday to hand over a memorandum to Mboweni.
However, Reserve Bank officials refused to accept the document.
Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said at a media conference in Johannesburg on Monday that Mboweni’s actions were ‘arrogant and unacceptableâ€.
‘We wish to inform Mr Mboweni and all public and Constitutional office holders that the precedent set by Mr Mboweni must never, ever be employed.
”Anyone who rejects peaceful demonstrations and refuses to accept petitions from the South African working class, who are currently experiencing extreme economic and social difficulties not of their own making, is inviting big trouble,†said Jim.
‘You are warned.â€
Jim said Mboweni failed to do his public duty when he refused to either directly receive the petition or to send a representative to do so.
‘Numsa will be seeking an explanation from the governor of the Reserve Bank of South Africa,†said Jim.
Numsa held a mini national congress from May 11 to 14, where it resolved to push for radical changes to the country’s current macro-economic framework.
‘[This included] the adoption of such measures that allow for more accountability of the Reserve Bank, dramatic lowering of interest rates, a rejection of inflation targeting and tightening of exchange controls,†Jim said.
Jim said there was correspondence from Numsa to the Reserve Bank ahead of time that there would be a march.
Jim said their displeasure with the situation and call for changes would be pushed at Cosatu’s executive meeting later on Monday. — Sapa