28 August 2007
The SACP would like to support the initiative of the Communication Workers Union to call on all private sector role players in the IT industry to rally behind and support initiatives that are people driven, consultative and located within NEDLAC.
To this end, we see the Proudly South African Campaign and the ICT charter as processes that are generally and specifically aimed at making sure that corporate South Africa is able to respond to the challenges of transformation of ownership and job creation in our country, over and above other challenging social issues.
The SACP therefore supports the call by the Communication Workers Union that these processes should be driven within the context of NEDLAC. We find it extremely opportunistic for those who have been entrusted with the immense responsibility of leading these noble developmental processes to then turn around and seek to pursue private gains from them. The actions of South Africa First IT amounts to nothing else but throwing a golden javelin when you are on the one side and quickly jumping out to catch it on the other side.
PSA is the way for every South African to do something concrete to support job creation, and help build our young nation and economy. NEDLAC is the only legitimate body in South Africa that has been mandated to promote social dialogue (with organised stakeholders; namely, Business, Government, Community and Labour) and hold industry sectoral forums as per the outcome of the Growth and Development Summit, further supported by the Information and Communication Technology Sector Summit.
We call on the rest of the role players to desist participating in this venture as it undermines the spirit of our democracy. The SACP pledges its full support to whatever action that CWU may consider taking in order to prevent the undermining of NEDLAC structures. We also call upon the Community Constituency at NEDLAC to engage with this issue as a matter of urgency and raise it firmly at the forthcoming NEDLAC Annual Summit.
Issued by the SACP
For more information Contact:
Malesela Maleka
SACP Spokesperson - 082 226 1802