Malema calls for national strike
Expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema called for a national strike at all mines on Tuesday until the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) leadership steps down.
File photo"There must be a national strike at all the mines until Frans Baleni and the NUM leadership step down with immediate effect," Malema told a packed stadium at the Gold Fields KDC West gold mine near Carletonville, where 15,000 workers are on strike.
"The problem is not NUM. The problem is the leadership who take money from mlungu (whites)."
Malema said the R12,500 salary workers wanted "is a reality".
Baleni, NUM's general secretary, read about their demands in newspapers.
"Comrades, you don't have leaders. You are leaderless. You are not alone. We are encouraged by what you are doing," Malema said.
Making mines ungovernable did not mean violence, "it means downing tools".
Malema said he and his companions had travelled to the mine to meet "the real revolutionaries".
"This is a serious revolution. Don't give up."
The mine obtained an interdict on Monday for workers to return to their posts after they suddenly went on an unprotected strike on Sunday.
Malema said people had been stealing gold from the workers.
"Now you want a piece of gold. You want R12,500."
He said workers should strike for five days a month "until they listen".
Malema has been touring mines and addressing disgruntled mineworkers.
He had already spoken at Lonmin, where workers have been on strike for a month, with the rallying cry that their pay be raised to R12,500 a month.
Forty-four people have died in violence associated with that strike -- 34 when police fired on protesters at Marikana last month.
Malema also spoke at Aurora's Grootvlei mine, which is in the process of being liquidated.
The ANCYL and its parent body the ANC have been at loggerheads over the nationalisation of mines, which the league is lobbying for but the ANC has said is not feasible.
Last week trade union Solidarity laid a charge of incitement against Malema.
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candilious
Hier kom K@k aan why give this moegoe so much Leverage.........................Report Abuse
candilious
Hier kom K@k aan why give him so much Leverage.........................Report Abuse
candilious
Sowetan you delete and paste comments back whats the deal hereReport Abuse
Papage
You can't shut him up, can you, he is just a hit. Viva my President VivaReport Abuse
BinoBanga
The country have to do something this time. We cannot be taken for a ride by malema!!! This boy is trying to play big while he is so small ne!!!?Report Abuse
Domkopp
My goodness. What is this punk saying now?Report Abuse
Mbedzhana
AE: Finally, how do you see this labour dispute being resolved?CC: The parties are still bargaining through other means. I mean through non conventional means. It is a question of power at play here, that is, between the workers and their employers. The way this event unfolded has somehow strengthened workers. It has emboldened them. They have gained sympathy. It has consolidated their solidarity and militancy. It has created martyrs. This situation cannot be resolved by signing peace accords. The peace accord signed by Lonmin, NUM, Solidarity and UASA is not going to make any change to this impasse. It's an accord that has the wrong people on the table.This situation can only be resolved by a compromise by the workers and the employers. But in this equation the employer has to concede more. The employer need to understand that the problem is a challenge to the industrial relations system and cannot be resolved by the current regulations.
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T.C.T
kikikiki it is clear now to those elders that wen it is there tym to become old and useless they should now obey the youth...cant they see how MANDELA is behaving this crew of zumaReport Abuse
Sandile84
I believe that Patrice Motsepe is sponsoring Malema, he is paying for Malema's trips and his house in Sandton. Motsepe wants Lonmin and Goldfields to go down in value because of the strikes so that Motsepe can buy those mines at a cheaper price and become even more rich.Report Abuse
Chresmo
People can't you c that malema is fighting for this ppl? i knw u guys h8 malema, but even if he's fighing 4 ppl u guys cant c that? i mean werz the sense here we have the GOLD and we sell it 2 USA and then we buy it back @ American Swiss? Malema's right mines must be nationalised.. VIVA JUJU VIVAReport Abuse
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