M’membe’s propaganda enhanced

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 11:46:52 +0000

 

EMPTY threats by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) to launch a campaign to boycott Zambian goods and to end South African trade with Zambia because of Mutinta M’membe’s arrest on Thursday last week is not only laughable but also extreme propaganda.

We think NUMSA’s statement is misplaced and an affront to the democracy and good governance it purports to defend.

As a trade union, NUMSA reserves the right to express its concerns on a myriad of governance issues within South Africa, SADC region and the continent at large.

However, NUMSA must do so from a well-informed and unbiased point of view. In an event where a foreign trade union, as is the case with NUMSA, seeks to advance and entrench a culture of democracy, it is civil that it engages in wide consultations with trade unions domiciled in that country.

Certainly, it does not augur well when a mere trade union, NUMSA, chooses to direct threats to Government out of ignorance and utter disregard for due process of law.

Does NUMSA understand the background of the warrant of arrest the Magistrate’s Court issued against M’membe? How is the liquidation of a private owned newspaper, the Post, related to bilateral trade between South Africa and Zambia?

Clearly, NUMSA lacks basic understanding of circumstances surrounding the Post Newspaper (in liquidation) and the court processes thereof.

Had the foreign trade union bothered to conduct a simple search prior to issuing botched threats, probably it could have understood that the closure of the Post was as a direct result of the Supreme Court judgment after it was established that the newspaper engaged in tax evasion.

It was following the enforcement of the said judgment that some former workers in pursuit of their benefits initiated the liquidation process in the High Court.

By virtue of this, a provisional liquidator was appointed to superintend over the management and accountability of assets of the Post to ensure satisfactory payment to all creditors the newspaper owes.

Is NUMSA aware that the court appointed liquidator has powers to take over the affairs of a company in liquidation?

Earlier the High Court issued an order t0 Fred M’membe as proprietor of the Post to furnish the liquidator and the court with a catalogue of assets but he has not done so.

To this end a lot of assets belonging to the Post (in liquidation) remain hidden away from the liquidator, hence the warrant of arrest to have Fred M’membe brought before court to explain why he does not want to hand over assets to the liquidator.

Does NUMSA support tax evasion by business entities in South Africa? Does NUMSA have jurisdiction to order government?

Certainly, it is not in order for NUMSA as a trade union to meddle in internal matters because it obviously shows total disregard of Zambia’s sovereignty.

We think, this is a complete departure from how trade unionism across the borders must work.

The mere fact that NUMSA did not consult Zambia’s mother trade union, ZCTU, or indeed any other trade union in Zambia sets a very bad example of how unions ought to co-exist on matters of national sovereignty and due process of law.

Much as trade unions must remain interested in matters of democracy and good governance, it is unacceptable for NUMSA to blindly demonise what is happening in Zambia without consulting colleagues on the ground.

In fact, the South African trade union has reduced itself to being used as a political vuvuzela in legal battles that are non-political or industrial-related in nature. Whatever is happening to Fred M’membe and the Post (in liquation) is a result of due process of law and beyond the scope of trade unionism.

Why was NUMSA tight-lipped when mining companies in Zambia were laying off workers last year?

 

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