Seemingly, comrade Sphiwe Nyanda, a distinguished MK commander is convinced that he must live his life as a Minister in the lap of luxury. Firstly he bought luxury cars and now he stays in hotels rather than in his Ministerial House. Is this the extents to which comrades in government have degenerated? Does government have so much money to waste while millions of South Africans live in shacks?

We are now more than convinced that COSATU is correct that crass materialism and corruption both legal and illegal are the biggest threats to the revolution. The lavish lifestyles lived by ministers such as Nyanda are equally the biggest threat to transformation in our country. Comrade Nyanda must not forget that it is millions of the working class who stay in shacks and in dilapidated houses that voted him and the ANC into government. He must not insult our intelligence.

Instead of ensuring that the money that seems to have no use in his department is channelled to fund free education, comrade Nyanda decides to live the life of a rich tourist in Cape Town. These hundreds of thousands that Nyanda splashes around would have ensured that a sizeable number of students receive free education. This necessitates that we must intensify our fight for free education, otherwise all the money will be finished by irresponsible ministers such as Nyanda.

We are enraged and in fact we are disgusted as the South African Students Congress by this opulence so brazenly enjoyed by comrade Nyanda at the expense of the population. Thousands of students voted for the ANC out of the hope that it would deliver a better life for all and not a better life for its Ministers. The ANC must reign in on comrade Nyanda otherwise he will cost us badly as the movement in the coming local government elections. Government must deduct these hotel costs from Nyanda's salary as punishment.

Statement issued by Lazola Ndamase SASCO secretary general, March 12 2010

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