South Africa 'already like Zimbabwe' says union

The levels of poverty and inequality in South Africa were no different from those of poor Zimbabweans because of the country's macroeconomic policies, which continue to stifle the creation of jobs.

This is the view of National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim, who said the leadership of President Jacob Zuma had not helped the working class in this regard.

"People say we will be like Zimbabwe. South Africa is [already] like Zimbabwe in terms of levels of poverty, unemployment and inequality. The only difference is that, in Zimbabwe, there is [President Robert] Mugabe, whom the West is presenting ... as a monster and everything else. In South Africa, we are in trouble equal to Zimbabweans in terms of poverty, unemployment and inequalities."

Jim was speaking to the Sunday Times on the sidelines of Numsa's ninth national congress at the Chief Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban.

He said the workers remained exploited and that the ANC had yet to implement the resolutions taken at the 2007 Polokwane conference, which resolved to review the country's monetary and macroeconomic policies.

Their congress required of the leadership to be "brutal and honest" about the state of affairs in the country, government and ANC-led alliance.

Jim said the comparisons that had been made between him and expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema were meant to "stigmatise" him.

"When people say I've occupied the space of Malema, I don't expect that ... as you are raising these fundamental issues, you won't be categorised in various ways with a view to stigmatise you, to ensure that you are liquidated. It is an orchestrated agenda, but we are not going to budge," said Jim.