By Jonk wa Mashamba
newsa@alexreporter.co.za
The IMISEBENZI YETHU team consisting of SA Job Seekers Movement, Unemployed Seeking Employment and Temporary Workers Union of South Africa (TWUSA) sent eight (8) delegation including escort from Alexandra Mandela Museum to Union Building.
The delegation left Alexandra Mandela Museum on the 11th December 2022 at 9:00pm and arrived in Union Building in the morning of the 12th December 2022.
The delegation walked 63 238 steps and 11 hours carrying the Economic Development Charter part II under the theme “NINE (9) ECO-PUBLIC PILLARS” to Union Building from Alexandra.
Spokesperson for Imisebenzi Yethu ,Mthokozisi Khambule said : We deliberately started our journey at the site where the former President Nelson Mandela first settled when he arrived in Johannesburg as a job seeker from the Eastern Cape.
“The Mandela Long Walk we took was meant to symbolizes the struggles of the unemployed as they walk daily in search of jobs and hope the government pays serious attention to their plight and fighting unemployment and poverty.
“We wanted to have delegation of 9 to symbolize the 9 years anniversary of the former president Nelson Mandela passing. However, we were 8 of us, but we believe President Mandela were the 9th delegation. We are saying this, because we had a warm and safe journey.
“The journey was not an easy one, as the delegation have to experience 6 hours of rain, but however they were courageous even the rain didn’t stop them to reach Union Building.”
Khambule said the memorandum of demands were received by the office of the COO in the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa. He said they were hoping that the Presidency would address the matters which aimed to build “our economy and also our country. We will do follow up with the Presidency to monitor progress in implementing Nine Eco-Public Pillars which seeks reduce unemployment to less than 10% in the next 10-15 years”.”We were hoping to find the President of the Republic of South Africa to ask him that, why he chose to hire an immigrant domestic worker while unemployment is continuing to sky high. We are of the view that, the president undermined the Employment Equity while he hired Miss Joseph in his farm as the domestic worker.
“The President must pay the fine to the Department of Labour and Employment for undermining the Employment Equity Act in according to LRA. We know that most of leaders are not following Employment Equity Act and prefer to hire people who will never question the terms of employment.
“We will work tireless to ensure economic development is achieved in this country of ours without fear or favour. We want to make it clear that, all parliamentarians who are busy undermining the Employment Equity must face the music, because will not led by leaders who don’t respect the constitution of the land.
“In according to Employment Equity Act for a first-time offence, an employer will be subject to a fine of the greater of R1,5 million or 2% of the employer’s turnover. We believe that the President of the Republic must pay this fine and he must fix this thing.
“In conclusion, the IMISEBENZI YETHU team will award those men and women who were part of this historical walk to submit a watershed 9 progressive demands to change the status quo of our country. We further like to thanks those who went the extra mile and contributed the resources;
ARMSTA – Contributed branded water, ATA – Contributed branded water, Jetline – Communication, UFO – Communication, Watloo – Box of Banana and water, Freedom Supermarket – Groceries and Transpaco – Transport and escort
He added that on the 26-27th April 2023 they will do the second march until “our demands are addressed”.
Good job. Keep on doing great things comrades we nothing without you