JIMMY MANYI POOR CHOICE AS CABINET SPOKESPERSON

"The appointment of Mr. Jimmy Manyi of the Black Management Forum (BMF) and former director general of the Department of Labour sends a wrong message to the public. Manyi was on special leave up to his appointment yesterday (Tuesday 2 February) because the previous minister of Labour had suspended him in June 2010 due to alleged corruption. Manyi starts his new position with a cloud over his head and is clearly not capable to act in such a strategic position," Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus' parliamentary spokesperson on Labour said.

"This appointment of Mr. Manyi is a clear and irrefutable proof that the ANC's policy of cadre redeployment is the death-knell to service delivery. Cadres who make mistakes are merely redeployed and are not punished for their actions," Adv. Alberts added.

Jimmy Manyi is also well known for his obsession with the enforcement of affirmative action and black economic empowerment to the exclusion of white people. He will be bringing this biased attitude with him to his new position as cabinet spokesperson. Manyi will have to discern between his own opinions and the policy which cabinet follows. Manyi has time and again shown that he is not satisfied with the government's policies but had rather sold his own opinions as that of government policy. The question could justifiably be asked whether Manyi has the capability to fulfil his duties within the policy framework of Cabinet.

The FF Plus intends to closely monitor the actions of Jimmy Manyi as cabinet spokesperson. Manyi has to be the mouthpiece of cabinet and not the instrument through which cabinet creates its policies.

Statement issued by Adv. Anton Alberts, FF Plus Parliamentary Spokesperson: Labour, February 3 2011

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