The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) on Thursday commemorated Human Rights Day by honouring the memory of the people killed in the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 while protesting against the “dompas” system.
The union called for equality in the country by alleviating poverty through nationalising minerals.
Spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said it was important to remember that the people of Sharpeville gave their lives to fight for an unjust and oppressive racist system.
“However, the working class majority is suffering because of the failure of capitalism to transform the lives of the majority of people. South Africa is the most unequal society, with crippling levels of poverty and unemployment. While the masses are drowning in the sea of poverty, a handful of billionaires are getting richer and richer.”
To honour the lives of those sacrificed during the Sharpeville protests, Hlubi-Majola said deliberate choices must be made to transform the economy for the benefit of all.
“That would entail nationalising the economy and all minerals for the benefit of all of us, not just for an unelected wealthy few. We need leaders who are courageous like the people of Sharpeville to drive genuine transformation, for the benefit of the majority of people.”
Meanwhile, the Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (HAITU) said it wanted to use the day to highlight the right to health care as a fundamental human right which the majority of people have yet to attain.
“South Africa today is a democracy, but the majority of people are unable to enjoy this democracy because many of the rights which are enshrined in the constitution, like the right to health care, remain out of reach,” the trade union said.
“The majority of black people in our country are not able to afford quality health care. They have to rely on the public health care system, which is collapsing. Our public hospitals are in a terrible state. They are falling apart. To make matters worse, there are not enough nurses and not enough doctors to take care of the community because of budget cuts.
“We frequently run out of basic necessities like medicine and we are forced to work without proper equipment. At the same time, the daily power cuts and water cuts make the work of saving lives impossible to achieve,” the trade union added.
It said the country was currently under the governance of a black government but this had done little to improve the lives of the black majority.
“The policies which it has implemented in the healthcare sector are undermining our ability to give the majority of people access to quality health care. HAITU has consistently said that this government makes health workers accessories to murder, because the lack of resources, means that there are many unnecessary deaths.”
HAITU said if South Africa is genuine about promoting human rights then there should be no debate on the subject of free health care.
TimesLIVE
Numsa calls for equality in Human Rights Day message
Image: 123RF.com/Jager
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) on Thursday commemorated Human Rights Day by honouring the memory of the people killed in the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 while protesting against the “dompas” system.
The union called for equality in the country by alleviating poverty through nationalising minerals.
Spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said it was important to remember that the people of Sharpeville gave their lives to fight for an unjust and oppressive racist system.
“However, the working class majority is suffering because of the failure of capitalism to transform the lives of the majority of people. South Africa is the most unequal society, with crippling levels of poverty and unemployment. While the masses are drowning in the sea of poverty, a handful of billionaires are getting richer and richer.”
To honour the lives of those sacrificed during the Sharpeville protests, Hlubi-Majola said deliberate choices must be made to transform the economy for the benefit of all.
“That would entail nationalising the economy and all minerals for the benefit of all of us, not just for an unelected wealthy few. We need leaders who are courageous like the people of Sharpeville to drive genuine transformation, for the benefit of the majority of people.”
Meanwhile, the Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (HAITU) said it wanted to use the day to highlight the right to health care as a fundamental human right which the majority of people have yet to attain.
“South Africa today is a democracy, but the majority of people are unable to enjoy this democracy because many of the rights which are enshrined in the constitution, like the right to health care, remain out of reach,” the trade union said.
“The majority of black people in our country are not able to afford quality health care. They have to rely on the public health care system, which is collapsing. Our public hospitals are in a terrible state. They are falling apart. To make matters worse, there are not enough nurses and not enough doctors to take care of the community because of budget cuts.
“We frequently run out of basic necessities like medicine and we are forced to work without proper equipment. At the same time, the daily power cuts and water cuts make the work of saving lives impossible to achieve,” the trade union added.
It said the country was currently under the governance of a black government but this had done little to improve the lives of the black majority.
“The policies which it has implemented in the healthcare sector are undermining our ability to give the majority of people access to quality health care. HAITU has consistently said that this government makes health workers accessories to murder, because the lack of resources, means that there are many unnecessary deaths.”
HAITU said if South Africa is genuine about promoting human rights then there should be no debate on the subject of free health care.
TimesLIVE
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