Press Statement dated 20 June 2018
The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in Limpopo province has learned with shock and utter dismay about a letter written by the so called faceless members to the ANC Chairperson Cde Stanley Chupu Mathabatha disparaging and assassinating the characters of ANC leaders.
As a union in this province, we would like to put it on record that we were amongst the first people to raise the issue of investments in VBS and cannot be faceless today. We are content that the ANC government headed by Cde Premier Stan Mathabatha has through our meeting held with Cde Mec Jerry Ndou on the 04th April 2018 as well as 05th May 2018 comprehensively responded to our concerns with regard to the VBS issues.
This confirms that we cannot be faceless on such a very important matter in our sector. We however wish to reiterate our stance that consequence management need to be applied on anybody who invested municipal funds with VBS in violation of Municipal finance Management act whether instructed, coerced or on their own free will.
Samwu has for a record not investigated nor does it possess requisite skills to can undertake a forensic investigation that can scientifically determine who has instructed who to invest in VBS and would further distance itself from the assertion that there is evidentiary material to the effect that the treasurer of the ANC in Limpopo is involved or coerced anyone.
As it relates to the ANC conference due this week, Sawmu will not instruct the ANC conference to discuss and or not to discuss any particular issue. Our view in this regard is that it would be surprising if the issue does not come up one way or the other in congress debates within the context of broader governance overview due to its prominence in society because the ANC is a leader of society and ought to engage on any issue bedevilling society without being instructed to do so by faceless people or Samwu in this instance.
Lastly, the union would like to indicate that we will continue to robustly engage on issues that concerns our sector without being faceless and would rather be captured by members of Samwu with faces than be captured by faceless people masquerading as Samwu members. Samwu will write a formal letter to the ANC provincial office bearers particularly the provincial Chairperson as well as the Treasurer to distance the union from this unfortunate saga.
Issued by Patrick Aphane, Provincial Secretary, SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) Limpopo