Leaders, I forwarded a letter from Cde Stanley where he is toying around the decision to resign from SAMWU after his observation of SAMWU over a period of time. While I am not blaming the comrade for leaving SAMWU it can be very painful if the comrade can join the rival union in Emfuleni Local Municipality.
There are few comrades that I believe we cannot afford losing, Cde Stanley Gaba is one of those. His struggle credentials are impeccable and his age is the age that we need to lead the country one day. Please read his letter below and dissuade the comrade from anything that you think might be detrimental to the revolutionary cause of our region. Regards Mzukisi Ronyuza ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Stanley Gaba <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:52:29 +0200 Subject: Fwd: Intention to resign To: [email protected] >>> Stanley Gaba 6/26/2012 1:33 PM >>> My Colleagues and friends Before I continue, I’m not bitter whatsoever but just disappointed how my soon to be ex-union is prepared to sink to the lowest levels of gutter. I am saying soon to be ex-union because I have arrived at a painful decision to quit this union, and join IMATU. It is a painful decision because I joined this union because of my revolutionary consciousness and believes, but have since realized my interests and quality representation is at stake. I took an agonising 8 months wallowing in this decision, and have come to a conclusion that I must leave this noble union. My belief is that trade unions exist to support, protect and fight for the rights of their members, more specifically, SAMWU, Represents, Reprimands and Educate its members. A task that seems to have fallen by the side, especially if the core issues are to the benefits of workers. They are just interested in getting allowances from the member subscriptions. There are many reasons why I believe that SAMWU (Locally and provincially) has failed to support its members in particular myself. These include lack of knowledge, plain stupidity, high level of ignorance and arrogance, high level of illiteracy, power trip, weak law, dis-interest, fear of retaliation by employer, lack of training, lack of support within the union, contempt for members, complicity, fraternal obligation and more. All play their part. I'm convinced that this has been going on (over a decade) that there are other reasons, which I detest. Some reasons are that: I was a member of SAMWU and its subsidiary like SAMWUMED (Medical aid), SAMWU SACCO (financial cooperative) and been contributing for the past 5 to ten years. Some if not all, shopstewards are not members to these important organs, yet they control our funds, including SAMWU Provident fund. I find this very disturbing!! But what really shook me off my cocoon are the following: 1. The non-disclosure of R6 million stolen from the medical coffers by the administrators. This matter was not disclosed or report given to members as to what steps are taken to address the deficiencies. 2. The non-disclosure of the purchase of the head office building to members. It is reported that building was purchased for R5 million and renovated at R6 million, and recently it has emerged that the president has unilaterally signed a deal for renovation at R17 million. If this is true then it is highly unacceptable, and this makes me sick!! 3. The recent Gauteng provincial congress that failed to elect leadership, whilst which was hosted in Sandton at approximately R1 million for 4 days. At local level, meaning here at home, SAMWU only becomes vocal when issues of certain appointments of favourate people are to be done, whether wrong or right. Thereis a social virus that is threatening our municipality: we are increasingly accepting as normal, or as a "norm", that which we should regard as shameful and scandalous. Our noble SAMWU does not see or chose to ignore these!!! Stories of irregular appointments of staff and arbitrary promotions of some is becoming normal, no longer the exception. In fact, what has become an exception is good governance. Incompetency at all levels of municipality among the administration is now taken for granted. We seem to be accepting that collapsing administration is just the way things are, or rather should be. Incompetency and mal-administration is a permanent feature of the Emfuleni' s landscape. Sadly, we are socializing our new employees to this malaise and poor management. It seems to me that a decade of successful arrogance and power trip put paid to proper representation of the workers interests. It is hugely embarrassing now to answer allegations of why some shop-stewards appear to limit their interest in cases to cherry-picking those members with interesting cases which, if successful, can be used in press releases to trumpet their alleged achievements. What this means in practice is that some employees, regardless of how many years they've being paying subscriptions in expectation of services in time of need, are rejected in favour of the few easy and sexy cases. Whatever happened to original trade union principles? Sadly I have to leave this union though, I love and belong to it!!! This decision is informed by the current realities, not withstanding the letter written by SAMWU to management imploring them to "dismiss me from SAMWU matters and activities (sic)". I have been insulted, labeled and called sorts of names from being soothsayer, anti-revolutionary, arm-chair critic, alarmist, an instigator and many more. All these points to one thing that I am not wanted or valued as a member. It is really a painful decision Thanks, -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. 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