Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
Speaker Baleka Mbete has taken a tough stance against striking National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) members in Parliament who trashed the institution yesterday and shut down its business.
Mbete, flanked by her deputy, Lechesa Tsenoli, and National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise, said they would deploy the police and security services to protect the business of Parliament. The union members stormed the National Assembly and forced MPs to leave the Chamber. But Mbete said at a media briefing it is a case of “so far and no further” for the union members.
It was the first time in the history of Parliament in a democratic order that striking workers had shut it down completely.
The threat to deploy the police came as Nehawu also threatened to intensify their strike action today.
Mbete said the conduct of Nehawu members yesterday would not be repeated. She warned that they would use every legal instrument they had to stop the strikers from disrupting Parliament.
Mbete said they would pass the Budget in time for the closing of Parliament on Friday.
“On the division of revenue processes, for us that’s an absolute priority,” she said.
The ANC said while it sympathised with the striking workers, it called on all parties to resolve their differences speedily.
The disruption of proceedings yesterday has forced Parliament to shift its end-of-the-year business to Friday instead of today.
Parliament is still processing a number of departmental budgets as well as the national Budget.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana and his deputy, Bheki Cele, could not finish their presentation to the portfolio committee on agriculture because the meeting was disrupted by the striking workers.
The minister and his deputy were briefing the committee on the drought situation in the country.
This is South Africa’s worst drought in 23 years and will cost farmers billions of rand in lost production this year.
The drought has already pushed up food prices, including maize.