Terminate Sasfu's registration as a military trade union

The South African Security Forces Union's (Sasfu) continued Cosatu-style campaign for the removal of Vice-Admiral Johannes Refiloe Mudimu is outrageous. Lieutenant-Commander Bhekinkosi Mvovo appears to be behaving less like a responsible commissioned officer and president of a military trade union and more like a "Julius Malema in uniform".

Earlier this week Sasfu called for the dismissal of Mudimu on the grounds that he refused to pay allegiance to President Jacob Zuma. Now Sasfu are inferring that Mudimu is a "traitor" and vowing to continue their campaign for his removal. Sasfu claimed in a statement released yesterday that Mudimu had "failed the Navy and black people in particular", vowed to continue their call for his "resignation or removal" and inferred that he was a "traitor".

We cannot have a situation where military trade unions such as Sasfu become political battering rams interfering in the promotion and appointment of military officers in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). It is absolutely imperative that the defence force and military trade unions are not drawn into party politics and remain political neutral in a constitutional democracy such as South Africa.

I will therefore call on the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu to break her silence on this matter and issue a statement condemning Sasfu.

I will also write to the Registrar of Military Trade Unions asking for an urgent review of the recent statements by Lieutenant-Commander Mvovo and Sipho Sityoshwana and to consider terminating the registration of Sasfu on the grounds that they have acted outside the provisions of regulations governing military trade unions in the SANDF. In particular, Sasfu appears, in contravention of the regulations, to: -

• be politically affiliated or associated with a political party - namely the ANC or a faction of the ANC;
• be organisationally affiliated or associated with a trade union or labour federation - namely Cosatu;
• reportedly be threatening that members of the union would go on strike in support of doctors and nurses if negotiations between the government and Cosatu fail on the Occupational Specific Dispensation.

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of defence and military veterans, June 12 2009

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