Despite heading up NUM and the SACP, this Mampara only paid his own workers one third of the minimum rate for working seven days a week

In case I am castigated for misstating the formal job title of this Month’s Mampara, Senzeni Zokwana is the recently appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. This Mampara is currently the National Chairperson of the South African Communist Party and was formerly the President of NUM – The National Union of Mineworkers.

Surely as President of NUM and a member of the Workers’ Struggle against slave wages paid by the abhorrent Capitalist System, he should have been a tad sensitive to the wages that he himself was paying his employees.

Apparently this is not so. He was recently exposed as being guilty of paying his Cattle Herder R800 per month which is below the Industry minimum of R 2420pm. In addition as a strident Trade Unionist he appears not to have read the Basic Conditions of Employment Act as this poor underpaid and exploited worker was expected to work seven days a week.

If Mr Senzeni Zokwana as President of NUM is unable to pay his workers the minimum wage, how does he expect us poor people to afford to pay these exorbitant wages.

To compound the problem, instead of an apology and backpay, this Mampara has proudly announced that he has subsequently promoted his Cattle Herder and given him a 300% salary increase to R2400 per month. This amount is still R20 below the Minimum Wage.

No mention was made of backpay!

Or how about donating 50% of your farm to this indigent soul?

Surely this disgusting behaviour which would have elicited rabid anti-white comments about his treatment of this worker if he had been a white person, would equally have attracted the ANC’s and their Tripartite Alliance Partner’s opprobrium?

But no; in unison, they all rose to his Mampara’s defence.

NUM blasts attempts to ‘isolate’ Zokwana

http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/num-blasts-attempts-to-isolate-zokwana-1.1698753#comments_start

Johannesburg – The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Wednesday rallied behind its former president Senzeni Zokwana, who is accused of not paying a labourer on his Eastern Cape farm a decent wage.

“Logically these (elements) will stop at nothing to attack and weaken Senzeni Zokwana as one among those leaders who dared to avail themselves to serve in the NEC of the ANC,” NUM spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said in a statement.

“Additionally, it is hoped that by extension these kinds of attacks would (also) translate into denting the image of the SACP given the fact that (Zokwana) is also its chairperson.”

Discontent over Zokwana’s appointment to the cabinet and election on the ANC NEC leading to the attacks was a case of “sour grapes”, the union contends.

Zokwana criticism petty: SACP

Johannesburg – The SA Communist Party on Sunday came to defence of newly appointed Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana following reports that he was under paying his cattle header.

“Comrade Zokwana is a mine worker who is not paid an executive’s salary,” general secretary Blade Nzimande said on Sunday.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/zokwana-criticism-petty-sacp-1.1697420#comments_start

As if the underpayment by a Trade Unionist was not sufficient, Mr Zokwana has now been charged with bribery.

Zokwana: Brandy gift not a bribe

Johannesburg – Newly appointed Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana has denied that a gift of brandy was a bribe in order to acquire land in the Eastern Cape, the City Press reported on Sunday.

The chief of Ntshatshongo village in Willowvale, Manduleli Bikitsha, is taking Zokwana to court, alleging that the minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries is occupying land in the area illegally.

Bikitsha said that Zokwana did not follow the correct procedure to acquire the land according to traditional practice and instead used a gift of alcohol to secure occupation of the area where he keeps his cattle.

“Zokwana did not follow that process. He simply gave (a headman) brandy and thought that was enough,” Bikitsha said.

The case is now set to be heard on June 26 in the Willowvale Magistrate’s Court.

Enough said

Words fail me.

Articles on Mamparas:

Mampara for May 2014: Julius Malema

http://thecasualobserver.co.za/mampara-may-2014-julius-malema/

Mampara for 16th April 2014-SABC & IEC and advert by DA

http://thecasualobserver.co.za/mampara-day-wednesday-16th-april-2014/