Ntola is the working class hero. He is clear, articulate, politically matured, ideologically consistent and he remains a relevant leader of the working class. With the recently elected leaders of cosatu unions both in the pubic and industrial sector we see a young and fresh dynamic strength of guided militancy and firm radicalism that would have unite and strengthen working class power in the struggle for socialism. We stand by our leaders.
On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 10:21 AM, Dominic.Tweedie <[email protected] > wrote: > > > [image: Mail & Guardian] > > > *Ntola still head of class* > > > *Matuma Letsoalo, Mail & Guardian, Johannesburg, 15 October 2010* > > The past few weeks have not been easy for Thobile Ntola, president of > Cosatu's teacher union, Sadtu. Nothing has tested his leadership more since > his election in 2008 than the 20-day public service strike and its > aftermath. He dealt in turn with strike violence, pressure from his ANC > comrades to find a solution to the wage impasse and angry delegates at last > week’s chaotic Sadtu conference, who booed senior ANC leaders. > > But for Ntola these challenges are merely part of being a revolutionary, > committed to bettering the lives of the working classes. > Re-elected to his position last week, the Eastern Cape-born Ntola showed no > sign of strain when he met the Mail & Guardian on Wednesday. > > "It is business as usual," said the radical but softly spoken leader. He > was between meetings of the bargaining council, where 19 public-service > union leaders were deciding whether to agree to government's offer of a 7,5% > salary increase and a R800 housing allowance. > > Other Cosatu affiliates were saying yes; Ntola, no. > > Despite condemnation from the government, the ANC and opposition parties of > the conduct of striking public servants Ntola appeared unfazed. > > Sadtu did everything in its power to avoid the strike, he said. > > "A strike is not always the right mechanism. For us, strike action is > always the last option. But in this case the employer pushed us too far." > > Government had failed to convince members that it had no money to pay for > salary increases, he said. > > “There is a view among workers that what the government budgets for is > often not a priority. Members failed to understand why government budgeted > millions of rand to pay for the Gautrain, for instance. > > "Can we say the arms deal was a priority when we are moving towards a more > civil society? How do you justify the building of a parking area at King > Shaka airport valued at more than R60-million? > > "How do you justify the fact that Cabinet ministers always stay in > expensive hotels, drive luxury cars and are always taking overseas trips? > [Planning Commission Minister] Trevor Manuel recently revealed that the > government spent about R4,5-billion a year on things like advertisements. > > "How do you explain all this to workers who are still struggling to make > ends meet?" Ntola asked. > > He defended Sadtu members who booed ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe > last week when he said the children of some striking teachers attended > former Model C schools and continued learning during the strike. > > "The manner in which Mantashe raised [that] was uncalled for," he said. "He > was dealing with delegates on their own platform. Teachers have the right to > send their kids there [Model C schools]." > > Ntola apologised to Mantashe and the ANC for the behaviour of Sadtu > members, but political observers believe he carries some blame because of > his frequently incendiary rhetoric. > > At the congress he blasted President Jacob Zuma, his administration and the > ANC for making empty promises to the poor. > > "A better life for the people of South Africa still remains a > public-relations stance," Ntola said to thunderous applause. > > "Post-Polokwane, state power is still used to distribute patronage and > appoint people without capacity to lead transformation, [for] corruption and > nepotism, for accumulation of wealth, especially through government tenders. > We are an irritation to the current administration. This is seen through its > militarisation of police to deal with us when we are exercising our rights, > media tribunal proposals, classification and declassification of > information." > > Some in Cosatu believe all top six ANC leaders, including Zuma and > Mantashe, should be retained after the party's 2012 elective congress, but > Ntola holds a different view. > > "We must analyse whether the current leaders are sympathetic to the > interests of the working class," he said, adding that no one, including > Zuma, was guaranteed a future leadership position. > > "This is a class struggle. We are not satisfied [with the current > leadership]. We have not seen significant changes in areas such as health > and education and there is no clear position on industrial policy." > > > *Reckless leader or socialist hero?* > > For some within the tripartite alliance Ntola is a reckless, ultra-leftist > leader whose utterances send the wrong messages to foreign investors. For > others, he is a working-class hero committed to improving the life of the > poor. > > Until recently Ntola was an unknown figure, but he has grabbed public > attention during the past two months with his scathing attacks on President > Jacob Zuma and other ANC leaders and his seemingly intransigent arrogance > during the public service strike. > > A teacher by profession, Ntola is one of the emerging and growing class of > white-collar trade unionists in the country. In addition to his teaching > qualifications he holds a law degree from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan > University and is furthering his legal studies through Unisa. > > Ntola's active involvement in politics began in 1987 when he was elected > chairperson of the student representative council at Butterworth College in > the Eastern Cape. This position made him a target of the apartheid > intelligence apparatus, which harassed him from time to time and forced him > to leave his home in Transkei and seek refuge with a cousin in Port > Elizabeth. > > Ntola was re-elected Sadtu president last week and also serves as a member > of the central committee of the SACP and of trade union federation Cosatu. > In 2009 he was a member of the ANC's education and health commission. > > Unlike many Cosatu leaders Ntola says he does not dream of a top government > post. "I have no ambition to become part of the bureaucracy," he told the > Mail & Guardian. "My ambition is to work for the people to ensure they are > liberated. If need be, I would retire in the trade union movement." > > A hardline SACP member, Ntola believes socialism offers the only way to > address South Africa's high levels of poverty and unemployment. And, the > SACP, not the ANC, is the party to deliver it, he says. > > Last week Sadtu took a resolution to give financial support to the SACP to > strengthen the party. > > > *From: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-10-15-ntola-still-head-of-class* > * * > * * > > > -- > You are subscribed. This footer can help you. > Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to > this message. > You can visit the group WEB SITE at > http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery > options, pages, files and membership. > To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected]. > You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to > put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to > this address (repeat): [email protected] . > -- Kind regards Vincent Masoga 073 513 7705 083 406 9619 facebook.com/Masoga. -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
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