SA accused of short-termism, greed and gullibility

SOUTH Africa had become an “instant society” that focused only on the short term, National Union of Mineworkers general secretary Frans Baleni said yesterday.

“South Africa has reached a proverbial crossroads,” he told the Joburg Indaba on mining in Sandton, Johannesburg.

“We are looking at shortterm things. Things must happen now. We’ve become populist, playing to the media.”

Baleni referred to protesters

Amcu emerged as an alternative union for mineworkers during a strike in the platinum mining sector in 2012. It has since taken over as the dominant union in the platinum belt in the North West, sparking rivalry with NUM. who destroyed property or stopped their children from going to school because they wanted a road.

He said people had become gullible and there was an abundance of greed.

“We just accept abnormality. There is no respect for the rule of law.”

Baleni said there had been a collapse in management systems and weak leadership.

“Literally we have seen weak management, management

Earlier this year, Amcu led a five-month strike on mines of the three platinum majors around Rustenburg.

Baleni said NUM’s fear was that if this state of affairs of mistrust and lack of consultation continued it would divide with no steel balls. This is not only in [business] management but in trade unions [as well]. There is an inability to stand for something which is right because you want to be popular.”

Baleni said leaders appeared to be unaware of their actions.

He asked how sustainable organised labour’s tactics were. “It must look beyond itself and be the voice of the voiceless. It’s in our best interest to have a sustainable industry, because we need members.” – Sapa workers. “The fear [is that] if this continues we are likely to see fragmentation of labour. We are likely to see this instability for the next 36 months.”

He said that workers had to start realising “what is fake and what is real”.