President Cyril Ramaphosa listens to DA leader John Steenhuisen’s question in Parliament. Picture: GCIS
Cape Town - As servants embarked on strike action across the country amid wage negotiations, particularly at hospitals, President Cyril Ramaphosa said those who did not work would not be paid.
Ramaphosa made the comment while responding to oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, where he said he was concerned about the violent nature of the current healthcare worker strike.
“Workers in the country have the right to freedom of association and the right to strike. But that right is not absolute, because there are certain workers who are in essential service, particularly workers in the police service, workers who perform intricate services in the health sector – doctors and nurses – whose absence and participation in the strike put lives of people in danger,” he said.
“We won’t allow any form of violence that will lead to people getting injured, prevented from performing their tasks and also where lives can be lost as result of people being on strike.
“We call on those who are on strike to continue to put the interests and the lives of our people ahead of everything else.
“If you don’t go to work you won’t be paid and if you protest, you must protest in a very peaceful way,” he said.
Responding to EFF leader Julius Malema’s question on whether he was still confident that Police Minister Bheki Cele and national commissioner Fannie Masemola were competent, Ramaphosa said the escalation of crime was one of the challenges facing the country.
“I am confident that the minister and the commissioner are competent and able to lead a collaborative approach to build a South Africa where all people in our country feel safe.”
Ramaphosa also defended the ANC’s cadre deployment policy, saying the party would appoint people who had the requisite capability and experience.
However, he admitted the ANC did not always get it right when making appointments, but he also pointed fingers at the DA for practising cadre deployment.
“The DA has been real experts at making sure that the people they appoint are people who are aligned to their thinking and philosophy.”
Ramaphosa said he would make determinations on whether the Expropriation Amendment Bill was constitutionally compliant or not when it was sent to him for assent after its processing by the National Council of Provinces.
“The Expropriation Bill is critical to addressing the hunger our people have for land.,” he said.
Cape Times