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Cape Town — President Jacob Zuma has authorised the deployment of some 2,000 troops to assist the police during the May 7 elections and the presidential inauguration. Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said that 1,850 members of the SA National Defence Force would be on duty around the country on election day to help maintain law and order.
A further 247 would be deployed in Gauteng on May 24 to step up security in the province for the inauguration at the Union Buildings.
Meanwhile, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) leaders were not included as speakers for May Day rallies because the federation only wanted those who will campaign for the ANC to deliver speeches, City Press reports.
This is according to National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) deputy president Joe Mpisi who was addressing the media in Polokwane, Limpopo, earlier on Wednesday ahead of Cosatu’s national May Day rally, which was addressed by President Jacob Zuma yesterday.
He, however, said this did not amount to “sidelining” of Numsa.
When asked if Numsa could have campaigned for the ANC, its spokesperson, Castro Ngobese said: “We can’t lie to workers. These May Day rallies should not be used as an ideological force to tell a lie that there is a good story to tell when there is actually none.”
Mpisi said the deployments were finalised and adopted by the central executive committee, in which Numsa had taken part.
“Cosatu took a resolution that all affiliates must vote ANC and having read the attitude of Numsa [not to support the ANC], the committee was clear when deployees were adopted that only people who are going to carry messages for people to vote ANC and share messages of unity would speak.
“We want people who will unite the federation and the alliance,” Mpisi said.
“Numsa leaders are deployed in various provinces, but they are not going to speak — just like myself being deployed to Limpopo, but I won’t speak. Leaders who are going to speak will prepare people to vote ANC on May 7.”
Meanwhile, Numsa has also warned against the use of May Day rallies by Cosatu.
“We can’t lie to the workers and mobilise for the ANC when they are behaving like the former oppressor. We can’t lie because we don’t think workers are prepared to eat emblems and symbols of the ANC. There is no good story to tell when miners in the platinum sector have been on strike for months and the ANC is not intervening,” Ngobese said. “There is no good story to tell when labour brokers are not being banned as promised by ANC in 2009; when e-tolls are imposed by the ANC government; and when the majority of workers continue to earn less than R3,000 month.”
Numsa backer and Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi spoke at a rally at Dan Qeqe Stadium in Port Elizabeth yesterday.
Vavi had also said he will not lie for the ANC but promised not to campaign against the ruling party.
Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema yesterday led a stinging attack against several ANC bigwigs for being too scared of Zuma to challenge him for wrongdoing.
He said former human settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale, former minister in the presidency Trevor Manuel, and Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor bowed to Zuma because they were scared of him.
Malema said at first he thought they would take a stand against Zuma. “Tokyo Sexwale, I think he has disappeared,” Malema said during an interview on Talk Radio 702 yesterday morning.
“We relied on people like Tokyo . . . he disappointed me . . . but they are so scared of one individual. He was silenced. We hope he will have courage and come out.” He said Pandor used to be brave.
“Naledi Pandor, she was bold, then all of a sudden she was bowing.” He said she initially challenged Zuma on his comments that the African National Congress would rule until Jesus returned.
“She took him on that matter. Everybody was scared, like: ‘What is she saying?’” he said.
“Anyone who stands up and speaks out against president Zuma, be sure there will be a long queue of people telling you how wrong you are.” He said Manuel was only there to praise Zuma on his speeches.
“Trevor Manuel used to stand up and say [to Zuma] ‘today you gave great inputs, [the] best of best speech’.
“People like Trevor are overrated. He is useless.” Malema said the controversy surrounding the upgrades to Zuma’s Nkandla residence showed everyone was scared to say anything.
“Somebody messed up somewhere [on Nkandla] . . . the ministers are protecting him.” He said there were a few people in the ANC who continued to challenge Zuma, including Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile.
“Paul he is very brave. He took them [Zuma and the ministers] on about Nkandla.” Malema commended former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils, who recently started a campaign for South Africans to either spoil their vote or vote for an opposition party.
Kasrils said the ANC under Zuma had become a movement where the police were out of control and killing people.
Malema said when he was ANC Youth League president, he was not afraid to challenge Zuma.
“I told Zuma that all his speeches are the same and he always concludes with gossip,” he recalled.
“We challenged president Zuma from within . . . but Zuma’s intention was to see me selling loose cigarettes in Zone One, Seshego.”
Malema further claimed that the Gupta family was involved in the appointment of people at the SABC, including its CEOs.
“It’s unprofessional . . . and the Guptas are involved in the nominations. They impose it on [the ANC].”
He claimed that current SABC acting CEO Hlaudi Motsoeneng got the job because he was a friend of Zuma’s. “It is not correct to employ someone who knows the president,” he said.
In February, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released a report which found Motsoeneng’s appointment irregular. Motsoeneng’s salary had increased from R1.5m to R2.4m in one year.
She found he fraudulently misrepresented his qualifications — that he passed matric — to the SABC.
Malema said when he was still ANC Youth League president he had a talk with Motsoeneng about Zuma.
“I had a talk with Hlaudi who told me he is loyal to President Zuma. I asked: ‘But why are you loyal to Zuma and not the ANC’?
“I never supported Hlaudi but I know how we used to change news bulletins at the SABC.”
The influential Gupta family, who reportedly have ties with Zuma, made headlines in April last year when their chartered commercial aircraft landed at Waterkloof Air Force Base.
Jet Airways flight JAI 9900 from India was ferrying more than 200 guests to the wedding of Vega Gupta and Indian-born Aakash Jahajgarhia.
The landing sparked widespread criticism and several investigations were launched. A government investigation exonerated Zuma and his ministers, and found the landing was the result of “collusion by officials”. — Sapa
Online Reporter