POPCRU supports national strike against state capture, corruption
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) says it fully supports the upcoming Cosatu National Strike against corruption, state capture and job losses.
The Congress for South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) recently announced that its members would on September 27 embark on a mass national strike to protest against state capture, corruption and job losses in the country.
According to Popcru the majority of South Africans, workers in particular, continue to bear the brunt of corruption and state capture.
“Over 900 000 of 1.3-million workers in the public sector do not have houses and this at a time when their pension funds are being threatened by corrupt activities that have seen state parastatals collapse into the pockets of individuals’ interests – yet not a single person alleged to be involved has been arrested.
“The reduction of the public wage bill, the planned reduction of 3000 SAPS members and many other job losses within sectors are but remnants of the state’s incapacity to generate profits, which is partly due to the high level of looting that has seemingly become a day-to-day normality in our country,” said Popcru spokesperson, Richard Mamabolo in a statement released on September 19.
Mamabolo further stated that corruption and state capture have compromised the quality of service while millions of Rands keep disappearing into thin air.
“Public servants are taking a stance. They are saying say their retirement funds can no longer be used to bail out poor-performing state parastatals when we have not seen anyone being held accountable and charged for the rampant corrupt activities taking place within these companies.
“A lot of people who have been accused of these acts still walk the streets and no investigations are being conducted.
“It is in the interest of all South Africans to take part in this just cause of fighting state capture and corruption for the sake of the future, and there should be harsh penalties for those who have been found to have squandered public funds and those who are given the responsibility to investigate, but choose to look the other way,” said Mamabolo
The union revealed that its structures across all levels have started embarking on various mobilisation initiatives in an effort to build support for the strike. Mamabolo also said that the strike has been granted a Section 77 certificate by Nedlac, therefore workers who are to take part will be protected.
