DA fires workers to appoint its cadres

19 July 2016

The Western Cape ANC demands of DA leaders to clarify why the employment of about 460 municipal workers in George is all of a sudden terminated at the end of this month – just ahead of the municipal election.

The Western Cape ANC says it is its information that the DA promised to employ certain people in the municipal administration if they vote DA on 3 August 2016. And it is to make way for these people that the DA is now getting rid of a substantial number of loyal municipal workers.

These workers lose their jobs in mass without the George council deciding upon this. It is unilaterally done by the DA-led municipal administration. While DA top guns like national leader Mmusi Maimane and DA premier Helen Zille are visiting George making more promises, these workers who lose their jobs are despondent as they have nowhere to go in a few days’ time. Many have families to look after.

The ANC notes the trade union Imatu has taken up the fight for the workers and the ANC will stand by them.

ANC Western Cape secretary Faiez Jacobs says: “It is such a travesty that workers’ contracts are terminated and some not renewed just to make way for DA voters. They have now become collateral damage in the DA’s desperate attempt to retain political power at all costs. This is more improper cadre deployment by the DA that has no regard for poor and ordinary people.”

Issued by Faiez Jacobs, ANC Provincial Secretary, 19 July 2016