The Economic Freedom Fighters’ leader Julius Malema has promised the people of the North West that his party will continue to fight for the rights of black women and everyone who is oppressed, especially in the workplace.
Malema made his May Day address in Zinniaville Sports Grounds outside Rustenburg in the North West on Thursday.
Paid tribute to workers
“It was our people who made the economy of South Africa to be what it is today. It was our people who worked underground, who were exploited. They helped build these beautiful buildings you see today. And they were not paid for anything,” Malema said.
He said during apartheid, the workers did not have rights or unions. African women who were left at home, were subjected to exploitation while working as domestic workers.
“Today as you celebrate Workers’ Day you must never forget to celebrate African women who were exploited. Some of them were sexually harassed by their bosses. They never told anyone about that harassment, because if they told that story they were going to lose their jobs. We say to African women, ‘you must not be discouraged by the continued exploitation of the working class’.”
Marikana
He spoke fondly about the mineworkers who died in Marikana in 2012 during a wage strike.
“The union sold out the workers in Marikana. It was NUM [National Union of Mineworkers] that connived with the bosses and killed our people in Marikanana. This EFF is the product of Marikana. The EFF was made by the blood of innocent workers of Marikana, who were killed by Cyril Ramaphosa together with the greedy ANC.”
He encouraged the crowd to never forget the people of Marikana.
“We must never forget that our people in Marikana were fighting for a living wage. They were asking that the employer increase their salaries to R12 500. To show that they were not going to damage the property of the employer, they left the mine. They went to sit on top of a Koppie. Even when they were peacefully sitting on top of a Koppie, the mine bosses sent police to go and kill them. No one must lie to you that those people were criminals,” he said.
Government of national unity
He gave assurance to the residents of North West that his political party will give true recognition to black women and all those workers who were killed in Marikana.
“We have to make sure that Marikana is protected. There is no DA government or the so-called GNU which will destroy the workers’ rights. The rights of workers will be protected because they did not come cheap,” said Malema.
