Cosatu told a blatant lie

15 March 2016

Note to Editors: The following speech was delivered, in Parliament, by the DA Shadow Minister of Finance, David Maynier MP, during the debate on the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill.

1. Introduction

We know the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, Yunus Carrim, is a bit like the rand: volatile and more down than up. 

But when it came to the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill [B4-2016] he was spot on.

You see this Bill is the perfect case study proving the proposition that: when Cosatu says “jump”, the ANC government says “how high”. 

But Yunus Carrim tried to do what was right and tried his best to stand up to Cosatu.

And for that I would hope you would join me in giving him a round of applause: a committee chairperson doing what is right and standing up to Cosatu is rare in this Parliament

2. A Blatant Lie

The fact is that when it comes to the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill Cosatu could not get what they wanted.

And they could not get what they wanted because what they wanted was bad for workers, bad for people retiring and bad for South Africa. 

So Cosatu threatened to strike and waged a disinformation campaign claiming they had not been consulted.

Well, the fact is Cosatu were consulted – extensively.

They were consulted: inside Nedlac; inside the Standing Committee on Finance; and outside the Standing Committee on Finance in a parallel process we believe was led by Des Van Rooyen.

3. Conclusion

But, all this consultation failed to deliver the desired result for Cosatu.

And so, Cosatu threatended to strike.

And, as usual, the ANC government caved into Cosatu’s demands and within two weeks tabled this Bill in Parliament.

It proves that when Cosatu says “jump”, the ANC government says “how high”.

And it proves who really calls the shots on economic policy inside the ANC/SACP/Cosatu Alliance.

And, of course, it is not insignificant that the process was monitored by Deputy-President Cyril Ramaphosa.

With one eye on the future he never seems to miss an opportunity to give an upset Cosatu the political equivalent of the foot massage.

In the end, what happened here was that Cosatu told a blatant lie.

And Cosatu knows they told a blatant lie to the workers, to people retiring and to South Africa.

That is the truth.

Issued by the DA, 16 March 2016