Mutshamaxitulu, xosungula ndzi rhandza ku xeweta Maafrika-Dzonga etindhawini hinkwato laha va hi yingiselaka va ri kona
English:
Minister, this government and this department have no plan on how to create jobs for the people of South Africa. And because of this we are facing a high unemployment rate in South Africa. Currently, unemployment stands at 27,6%. The expanded unemployment rate sheds
light on the levels of unemployment rate where we are currently facing. The last Quarterly Labour Force Survey that was released by the Statistics SA revealed that the expanded unemployment is at 38% - where 34,9% are men and 41,5% are women. Minister, in this country women are too many, but when it comes to employment men are the ones who are more employed than women. So, you must fix this, Minister.
Currently, the expanded unemployment rate for those between the ages of 25 and 34 years is 44%. Many of these young people are skilled and qualified, but they are sitting at home.
The EFF election manifesto has placed strategic importance on the employment of women and youth in particular. Throughout the country workers particularly black workers, are abused and exploited by white monopoly capital and they are being failed by this department. Just this year in Mopani, Limpopo, hundreds of farmworkers at Letaba Estate Citrus farm were fired because they refused to accept a monthly salary of R1 000. I think, Minister, it is time for you to visit that side of Mopani because most of the farmers there are exploiting more of our people. I think it's time for you to go and dconduct oversight visit in that area. If it was not the EFF in Limpopo this matter would never have been resolved. This is the responsibility of your department, Minister.
At ArcelorMittal South Africa in Sedibeng, workers are not paid on time and some outsourced contract workers are paid as little as R2 650. This amount of R2 650 is illegal and is even below President Ramaphosa's ill-convinced and misguided R3 500 national minimum wage. A human being cannot be expected to live in dignity and provide for the family with such a low wage.
We have already seen this happening when these workers get injured. They are forced to be out of work without any form of compensation. This is a direct consequence of outsourcing as it takes all legal responsibility away from employers with a legal loophole. Minister, we must be honest with ourselves when we look at the issue of outsourcing. Outsourcing is the perpetuation and further entrenchment of a colonial system of economic exploitation which relied on the supply of cheap black migrant labour.
Since 1994, the ANC has done nothing to dismantle this economic system of exploitation. As we see throughout the country security guards and cleaners working at airports managed by the Airports Company South Africa, Acsa, are outsourced to companies that are continuing with the practice of cheap labour. Workers at Unisa were employed in fixed term contracts through labour brokers for more than a decade. Workers at Pick and Pay, Shoprite and Spar are
employed as contract workers through labour brokers. Here in Parliament, cleaners who clean for Ministers and Deputy Ministers are paid through labour brokers as a result of outsourced workers. This is the violation of the law as the Constitutional Court ruled that workers placed by labour brokers automatically become permanent employees after three months.
The Department of Labour has no capacity to enforce any of the labour laws meant to protect workers. Minister, you must be made aware if you do not know that the labour inspectors employed by your department are not doing their job. When they go to the farms, factories, call centres and other places of employment where workers' rights are being violated, they are easily bribed and workers continue to be exploited. Your department needs to do something about this and ensure that labour inspectors do not get seduced by bosses at the expense of our people.
We do not believe in the current Minister as his track record in government is poor, and wherever he has been things have either stayed the same or they have only gotten worse. Minister, you have been placed at the head of a department that is expected to find solutions to the unemployment crisis; something the President himself has no solutions for.
According to the National Development Plan, NDP, by 2020, which is next year, we were meant to have reduced unemployment to 14%. Currently, it stands at 27%. According to the NDP 11 millions jobs were meant to be created by 20 years. Currently, we are sitting at three million. The reason I bring this up is because the NDP itself is one of the main reasons why our unemployment levels are the way they are. As long as the ANC government is committed to neoliberal economics unemployment will only increase.
Despite the Jobs Summit held by the President with businesses leaders where they promised us that they will create 200 jobs, but we continue to see the private sector shedding jobs and sending our people back to poverty - Sibanye-Stillwater is getting rid of 3 500 workers; Multichoice is getting rid of 2 000 workers; and Standard Bank that is getting rid of 1 200 workers and many others like the Pretoria Portland Cement, PPC, and Tiso Blackstar Group. The private sector has never, and will never have the interests of South Africa at heart. It is only interested in profit. That is why they are firing so many and they cannot be relied on in creating jobs.
The state must play a direct role in creating jobs, firstly, by driving rapid and expansion of our state-owned entities SOEs, and
also by government insourcing workers to provide services. This will decrease and create quality jobs.
Just look at what Herman Mashaba has done in Joburg to get an idea of what I am talking about. The City is currently in the process of insourcing both cleaners and security officers. Those who listened to our policies like Herman Mashaba have changed the lives of thousands of workers who were victims of abuse and exploitation by labour brokers. They have also learnt that it makes financial sense.
Over and above the need to create new jobs, we need to protect existing jobs and ensure that those jobs pay workers a living minimum wage.
That is why your department must consider developing a job protection Bill which will protect workers from being the first casualties of bad management decisions at these companies. The Minimum Wage Act also must be revised. And the principle must be that no worker anywhere in South Africa should ever earn less than R4 500 a month. The current minimum of R3 500 is low. There are too many exceptions. There is no logical reason why farmworkers should earn less than other workers. So why has an expection been made for farmworkers. It is to continue pleasing white capital.
In the beginning of your speech, Minister, I heard you saying that media is doing a great job. Today, as I am standing here I challenge media to also visit farms and reveal what is happening there.
Xitsonga:
Hina, tanihi vandla ra EFF, a hi pfumelelani na yona bajete leyi. Ndza khensa.
Ms N P Koni: Deputy Chairperson, hon Mathevula's speech was the first speech in this House this afternoon.