Cosatu gets legal advice on secrecy bill
2012-12-22 10:21
Johannesburg - Trade union federation Cosatu has referred
the Protection of State Information Bill to its lawyers for advice.
At its end-of-year press conference, Cosatu general
secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the secrecy bill, if passed unamended, would be
a serious attack on every South African’s constitutional rights.
“The act must never be used to classify information which
exposes corruption or other crimes as ‘secret’ or criminalise whistle-blowers
who reveal such information,” Vavi said.
Vavi expressed concern about ANC secretary-general Gwede
Mantashe’s organisational report, which dubbed the union federation ill-disciplined.
In his report, Mantashe said Cosatu was the only alliance
partner that sees the democratic government as worse or the same as the
apartheid regime.
Vavi said this was not true and that Cosatu had never made
such a statement.
However, Vavi dismissed suggestions that there were cracks
in the tripartite alliance.
“We’re not worried about the alliance collapsing anytime
soon,” he said.
Labour brokers
Vavi said the alliance was in good shape and will be
stronger in 2013.
He promised Cosatu would respond to the ANC’s Mangaung
resolutions after studying them.
Vavi’s deputy, Bheki Ntshalintshali, said it was too early
to judge ANC leaders re-elected in Mangaung.
“We live in hope that they’ll be able to steer the country,”
Ntshalintshali said.
Vavi has urged Gauteng motorists not to register for e-tolls
or buy e-tags and to make the system unworkable.
Also a top priority for Cosatu next year will be fighting
for labour brokers to be scrapped.
Vavi says 2012’s wave of spontaneous strikes show that
millions of poor and marginalised South Africans are losing patience and have
begun their own militant fight against poverty, unemployment and inequality and
for economic transformation.
