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Enoch Godongwana

SHARP END: President Jacob Zuma addresses thousands of mine workers who are demanding a pay rise from their employers in Marikana, scene of a massace, near Rustenburg, in North West. Photo: Kopano Tlape

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THE Marikana tragedy that left 44 people dead, including mineworkers and police, will not affect President Jacob Zuma's re-election at the ANC's elective conference in Mangaung. This is according to Enoch Godongwana, ANC national executive committee member and former leader of National Union of Metalworkers of SA.

He said Marikana would not directly affect the ANC as the unrest was specific to the platinum sector and "not something broad based".

He made the remarks to Merrill Lynch, a wealth management division of the Bank of America.

In a briefing note to investors, Merrill Lynch quoted Godongwana as having said that the deadly dispute was unlikely to spread to other parts of the country as the circumstances that led to the strike in the Lonmin mine were unique.

Godongwana said Marikana was a wake-up call for Cosatu which, through its affiliate the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), had possibly "dropped the ball".

He said: "There was also a leadership vacuum. No union demands from either NUM or Amcu (Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union) were made to management."

Godongwana, who is also head of the ANC economic transformation committee, said expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema's political opportunism at the mine - where he addressed striking workers after police shot and killed 34 miners - would not help his political career.

"Outside the ANC he is finished. The ANC towers over the individual. The ANC has had its fair share of mavericks in over its history and Malema is no different."

Malema was asked to preside over a memorial service in Marikana last week where he attacked Zuma and his cabinet ministers, saying the government was treating them like pigs.

When Zuma addressed workers the day before, they also told him Malema was the first politician to come and address them.

Godongwana suggested that divisions within NUM had led to the strengthening of Amcu.

Wage demands came from self-appointed leaders of the illegal striking workers.

"NUM is weakened in the public eye and has to regain its strength and fix its internal divisions.

"However, NUM is not a populist union and won't try to regain its strength via populist or militant policy," Godongwana said.

He said unions needed to look at the lack of collective and centralised bargaining in the platinum sector.

Centralised bargaining, he said, was a more effective tool than the current state of fragmented bargaining.

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• This article was first published in the printed newspaper and eEdition on 29 August 2012. Click on this link to view the eEdition

Comments

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Tue May 21 00:24:28 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 30, 2012

LostGuy

What happened to the this is not the time to point fingers? you failed the people working in the mines all over the country, you like doing damage control instead if prevent the tradegy if you had listen to the miners which is one of your weakest point listening to the poeple who put into power, this wouldn't had happened, the ANCLY under the leadership of Malema has been calling for better conditions of the miners but you ignore it cause it was coming from someone you dont like.. standing there and campaigning for the shower head in the expense of the poor miners that does not make you any better politician or better than Malema, it reveals how reactionary you are, all Zuma"s puppest are singing the same song re-election instead of solving the issues we are facing i guess October came ealier for all the Dictator's allies since you wont be charged for lobbying for him before nominations are opened... cry my beloved ANC
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Aug 30, 2012

Mgaraji

When Zuma addressed workers the day before, they also told him Malema was the first politician to come and address them.
____________________________________________
1st politician from which political party?
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Aug 30, 2012

ntiki

Enouch you just showed the whole nation your stupidity. we thought you will come with solution instead your still talking kak while people are suffering.
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Aug 30, 2012

Lungu

@Enoch Godongwana i don't know who sends you to try and expose your stupidity to the nation, clearly you have no idea what you said about Zuma not being affected as he is indeed in deep S*H*I*T, as for malema yes his political carear might be finished pending the outcomes of magaung but i bet you, you and zuma after mangaung you will be jailed.
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Aug 30, 2012

cornelius

One detects a hint of desperation here. To say Malema is finished is ( unfortunately )wishful thinking. He is admitting that there was a leadership vacuum and that Cosatu and NUM needed a wake up call - meaning he acknowledges that Malema ( albeit opportunistically) played a role in drawing attention to COSATU and NUM's failures. How can he then be finished ? The ANC and its allies must stop lyin.g to themselves.
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Aug 30, 2012

VENDALIOUS

@Mgaraji
When Zuma addressed workers the day before, they also told him Malema was the first politician to come and address them.
____________________________________________
1st politician from which political party?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Good question
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Aug 30, 2012

Papgat

Mr. Godongwana made huge impact by saying 'Malema is finished', and this is true. Malema drunk his political career by his words, and now he is trying his luck to be a trade unionist, what a chance take he is? Most politicians started from the trade unionist and they become good politicians, not from politicians to trade unionist this show a downward graph for Malema. If i can code"Finish and klaar", they is no return from the dead.
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Aug 30, 2012

ThirdEye

I would never take serious a corrupt politician like Godongwana.
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Aug 30, 2012

Moffdat

The balls on this guy(Malema) are made of steal i tell you.

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Aug 30, 2012

Lungu

@ VENDALIOUS & Mgaraji most miners are uneducated so they see malema as a politician or feel he is.
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