Share

Jim wants change for working class

Johannesburg - It is time for the working class to start organising itself, National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim said on Thursday.

"We all love the ANC a lot... but I think the time has come for the working class to organise itself," he told the Daily Maverick Gathering Conference at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg.

"Our recent past has demonstrated that we are busy following symbols and people don't eat symbols and slogans... people care about basic necessities."

Jim was speaking about starting a political party.

Last year, Numsa resolved not to support the ANC in May 7 elections.

He said on Thursday that it had become very difficult to lobby within the ANC.

Jim used the party's 2012 Mangaung conference as an example.

Most delegates had supported the policy on the nationalisation of mines, however a "key individual made sure that resolution was cleaned out", he said.

Power relations needed to change.

The freedom charter

Numsa is championing the full implementation of the freedom charter which it has accused the ANC of ignoring.

"The truth is the very same movement [the ANC], when it comes to election, campaigns on the basis of the freedom charter, because it's true our people live by the freedom charter," said Jim.

Jim, former trade unionist Jay Naidoo and economist Iraj Abedian were speaking at the conference on a panel about the political economy.

Naidoo said he believed people were scared of the current government.

"I believe that we are scared. The type of fear we have in this country reminds me of the fear we had under apartheid," he said.

Public servants were scared to be whistle-blowers because they were worried they would lose their jobs or be attacked.

Fear among civil servants

"There isn't a law today [that is used] that protects whistle-blowers... there is fear among civil servants," he said.

The country had faced some of the biggest scandals - the Marikana shooting and the security upgrades to President Jacob Zuma's private home in Nkandla - however people were afraid to make a finding on these matters.

People needed to start organising themselves and start tackling the many issues the country is facing.

"We fought for freedom. Freedom was about the freedom to have your voice heard. I wish I was 50 years younger, it's an organisers dream here," Naidoo said.

"You have a democratic government, who won't throw you in jail. We have rights today and you still ask the question of 'what can I do?'."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.93
+0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
+0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.40
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders