SADTU and POPCRU express dismay
SADTU's and POPCRU's reaction to the scenes from parliament displayed during the 2015 State of the Nation Address SONA
As public sector unions we want to jointly register our utter dismay and shock at the scenes that came from Parliament during the State of the Nation Address. What we saw was nothing short of an attempt by some opposition parties to undermine our institutions of democracy. It was indeed a sad day in our country when those that were voted for and given the privilege by our people to occupy seats in parliament turned it into a war zone.
The hooliganism disguised as seeking accountability from the executive displayed by the so-called Economic Freedom Fighters in particular left us with a very bitter taste. The EFF went to Parliament with no intention to engage the executive and be part of the solution to our challenges but rather to unleash anarchy. It is a great pity that this, they are doing at the expense of the very Constitution that they purport to be defending.
Frankly, it does not surprise us that the EFF found its self running mates in the form of their strange bed fellows, the Democratic Alliance. Even though these two organisations sit on the opposing extremes of the ideological spectrum they have clearly agreed that they have one common enemy, the majority of South Africans who still have confidence in the ANC.
We want to remind these two strange bed fellows that at some point they will have to make peace with one reality, the ANC is the ruling party and was just recently given an overwhelming mandate by our people including us as the workers. We find it highly unacceptable that they want to overturn the ANC's electoral victory through theatrics and stunts in Parliament.