The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] congratulates its General Secretary, Cde Zola Saphetha, for being elected as the General Secretary of the World Federations of Trade Unions [WFTU] Trade Union International of Public Services and Allied [TUI-PS&A] this past weekend.

His election proves the confidence WFTU has in his leadership capacity and we as NEHAWU, are more than convinced that he will tackle his new responsibility with aplomb. We wish him well in his new duty to service the millions of public service workers from 105 countries across all six inhabited continents. His election further proves that NEHAWU is a trade union that takes internationalism very seriously and will continue to fight for workers not only in our native South Africa but worldwide as well.

As NEHAWU, we strongly believe that Cde Saphetha will contribute greatly in undertaking the process to build proletariat internationalism, fight the system of capitalist oppression and the unification of the human race. The national union will play an active role in assisting him to strengthen the Trade Union International [TUI] of Public and Allied workers and continue to contribute in the important task of building WFTU on the African continent.

NEHAWU also congratulates the Vice President our sister union the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union [POPCRU], Cde Marurung Masemola, for being re-elected as the WFTU-TUI Vice President for English speaking Africa.

The 13th World Congress of the WFTU Public Services TUI was held this past weekend at the city of Larnaca in Cyprus under the theme “Working people of all countries unite”. NEHAWU takes this opportunity to congratulate WFTU for the successful congress. Guided by theme we hope all workers from all over the globe will heed this call as they are confronted by retrenchments, super exploitation and lack of safe working conditions.

Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat Zola Saphetha [General Secretary] at 082 558 5968; December Mavuso [Deputy General Secretary] at 082 558 5969; Khaya Xaba [NEHAWU National Spokesperson] at 082 455 2500 or email: khaya@nehawu.org.za