The recent controversy surrounding the mourning of the late IFP leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi by officials from the Inkosi Langalibalele municipality in KwaZulu-Natal highlights a pressing issue: the necessity of upholding a clear separation between the government and political parties.
This week, municipality manager Sthembiso Mthembu issued a rather troubling, poorly-written instruction to municipal employees on how to mourn Buthelezi.
"Please be informed that due to the death of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the municipality will observe Thursday as a day of bereavement. In lieu of this, all employees must use black clothing. Female employees must use a doek with their black clothing,” read the email without stating what would happen to those who chose not to adhere to the instruction.
It appears reasonable to assume that Mthembu’s injunction for employees “to use black clothing” implies they must wear black clothing and that female employees are required to wear the doek on their heads in typical African tradition. It’s also possible that the message is totally lost in translation. But Mthembu, who is affiliated to the IFP, left us no option but to believe all employees are forced to mourn the prince of KwaPhindangene
While it is entirely appropriate for the government to acknowledge the passing of public officials, the situation becomes problematic when political affiliations blur the lines.
Governments often pay tribute to public figures by instructing actions such as flying flags at half-mast. These actions are a respectful and acceptable way to acknowledge the contributions of individuals to the nation and do so without infringing the rights of any person. However, when a municipal manager instructs other state officials on what to wear to work, it is not just in bad taste but a move laden with many concerning assumptions.
The directive from the municipality is highly problematic, infringes upon employees' rights of freedom of choice.
That Mthembu sees nothing wrong in writing such poorly thought through, if not illegal, instructions is telling about how the municipality is run. It also raises questions about whether political affiliation is at all considered when employees are hired.
SowetanLIVE reported how some employees had expressed disquiet about the instruction and how some were considering staying away from work on Thursday to avoid being reprimanded for non compliance.
Thobane Mkhize, an employee and union shop steward at the municipality, was quoted as saying: “When the Zulu king [Goodwill Zwelithini] and Nelson Mandela [former president] died we never received such an instruction. Why now?”
The injunction has spawned interest in some quarters of an overdue reminder that with Buthelezi's not so colourful past and the massive bloodshed and scores of lives lost on his watch as a bantustan leader at the height of apartheid, not everyone is mourning his passing. Some are sad he was never held accountable.
It is rather embarrassing when municipal heads, people who should be informed about the law, need to be reminded that labor laws do not grant employers the authority to dictate how employees should mourn or what clothing they should wear in response to a deceased person. It's behaviour that should not be countenanced. The memo should be withdrawn and an apology proffered.
