Newsletter 02-March

Labour relations Newsletter 02


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Director's Note

A RIGHT DELAYED IS A RIGHT DENIED
The month of March each year is dedicated to Human Rights and is
commemorated to remind South Africans about their sacrifices that
accompanied the struggles for the attainment of democracy in South
Africa. Human Rights Day on 21 March falls within this period. As the
organization, DITSELA Workers Education Institute, we would like to
reminisce and think deeper within the context of “Transition from the
Pandemic and Workers Education in 2022” as to where do we locate

our rights as workers. We want to participate meaningfully in
economic activities in South Africa and Africa at large, free from

Slavery, Servitude and Forced Labour.
In the light of Gender Based violence engulfing our communities, our
workplaces as well as the ecumenical Institutions, what benefit do we
derive from the provision of Constitutional imperatives. We need to
take war against Corruption to the boardrooms of the employers and
the state to come up with plans and strategies to curb this cancer that

is eating away at our society. Human rights are standards that
recognize and protect the dignity of all human beings. Human rights

govern how individual human beings live in society and with each
other, as well as their relationship with the State and the obligations
the State has towards them. DITSELA remains steadfast on provision
of quality Education as a right and as an obligation; as a vehicle to the

enforcement of this right.
We dare not fail…





Ntsilo Molumaele (Mr.)
DITSELA Exceutive Director

Human Rights Day or
Sharpeville Day?

By Nelereng Moale

As South Africa celebrates Human Rights Day, the country reflects on a day
defined by the horrific Sharpeville massacre.

That day, March 21, 1960, began with demonstrations in the township of
Sharpeville against the apartheid government’s pass laws, which restricted the
rights of the Black people in the country. It ended with the deaths of 69
unarmed civilians at the hands of 300 police who fired into the protesting
crowd.

Now the question remains, Should it be human rights day or should we be
more specific about the horror of the day and call it Sharpeville Day?

During an interview on SABC News on March 21, 2022, both Father Michael
Lapsley (founder of the institute for healing memories and Anglican priest and
social justice activist; he lost an eye and both his hands in a letter bomb that
was sent by the Apartheid regime in 1990) and heritage expert and director of
Madisebo University Research Institute; Dr. Zulumathabo Zulu went further
into this subject.
"I think that's a bogus debate; of course, it was about Sharpeville, it was about
the murder of unarmed demonstrators," Michael Lapsley says. “The response
to it worldwide, was an International Day against racial discrimination, and
that was a good international response, people were mobilized because of
the horror of what happened in Sharpeville, but we also know that racism is
fundamental, as is discrimination against women, people with disabilities, and
people of different sexual orientations, so I believe there’s been a progressive
move to say it should be Human Rights Day, but that doesn’t mean we ever
forget the horror and the pain of what happened on that day.”

https://www.parliament.gov.za/project-event-details/2

To which Dr. Zulu responded, "It's crucial that we
don't lose sight of the substance of what happened
on March 21, 1960. The basis of the battle was land
reform, and of course, there was an urgent issue in
front of them, which was the pass laws, which they
needed to address."

For these and other reasons, I believe that a name
like 'human rights' does not reflect reality, because
there is no context in the name, of course, it's great
that the United Nations has that foreground that
human rights in the context of discrimination, but
actually, the people on the ground are the ones who
are/were discriminated.”

He went on to delve deep into a
conversation he had with the CEO of the
Sharpeville Massacre Foundation, where the
victims of the massacre were discussed in
great detail; “the name ‘Human rights’
doesn’t reflect the pain of the people on the
ground, it doesn’t explain what they felt,
what they went through or show respect to
them, hence I continue to say that it’s critical
that the day's name incorporate the reality
of the day.”

So, I guess you'll have to decide whether this day should continue to be
known as ‘Human Rights Day’ or whether it should be renamed
‘Sharpeville Day’ to be more precise about the tragedy of the day?

My opinion? Regardless of what the day is called, I believe it should be
commemorated because it contains so much history and significance; it is
an important aspect of our history that should be discussed, taught, and
commemorated. The name 'Human Rights Day,' on the other hand,
encompasses all basic rights and further ties in with the reason why so
many people died on that terrible day (people decided enough was
enough with the pass laws that they felt infringed on their human rights
and silently protested, offering themselves up to be arrested); it doesn't
take away from what's described as the reality of the day, but the moment
we call it Sharpeville Day, it forces us to focus on that, the horror, the pain,
and somehow pushes the reason why they died to the background.
Furthermore, what about the numerous others if the Sharpeville massacre
is the only one remembered? Surely they, too, are deserving of
recognition?

Acknowledgements:
SABC News; 21 March 2022; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdFjuC3wFNo
Images: https://www.google.comurlsa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Findigo.africa%2Fshow%2Fblog%2Fpost%2F154%2Fhuman-rights-day-we-cant-celebrate-until-we-learn-to-collaborate
https://www.google.comurlsa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.georgeherald.com%2FNews%2FArticle%2FGeneral%2Fwhy-human-rights-day
https://www.google.comurlsa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timeslive.co.za%2Fnews%2Fsouth-africa%2F2019-03-21-human-rights-day-the-internet-wants-to-remember-it-as-sharpevilleday
https://www.google.comurlsa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Fevent%2FSharpeville-massacre
https: //www.google.comurlsa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.monstersed.co.za%2F2010%2F03%2F22%2F21-march-human-rights-day
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/human-rights-movements-south-africa-history-now/

North West
Provincial School

This course was one of the needs identified at the Provincial Needs Analysis Meeting in 2021. The gathering
was open to all members of the province's leadership as well as educators. The four (4) priority courses that
would make up the school were then agreed upon. The course was held in the North West province from
March 1st to March 3rd, 2022. There were 24 people in attendance, representing various labor unions and
regions around the North West Province. There were ten females and fourteen men among the 24.
The Danlep Advanced Educator Development course is heavily referenced in the workshop content.

There were three primary portions to the content.
Theoretical Frameworks for Adult Learning (Section 1)
The goal of this workshop is to provide participants an overview of how adults learn. Informal, formal, and
non-formal learning are the three broad forms of learning.
a) Informal Learning/Education
“the truly lifelong process whereby every individual acquires attitudes, value, skills and knowledge from
daily experience and the educative influences and resources in his or her environment – from family and
neighbours, from work and play, from the market place, the library and the mass media” (Wain 1987:51)

To put it another way, informal education occurs throughout our lives, and most of what we learn
comes from our daily lives, our job and home experiences, and our interactions with others. Another
word for this is the 'socialisation' or informal learning process that occurs throughout our lives, while
many people refer to it as a process that occurs during childhood. While it may begin there, when we
are 'socialized' into our family's and community's values, beliefs, and practices, it continues throughout
our lives.

b) Formal Learning/Education
“the hierarchically structured, chronologically graded ‘education system’ running from primary

schools through the university and including, in addition to academic studies, a variety of specialized
programs and institutions for full-time and professional training" (Wain 1987:51)

This description implies that formal education is a 'system,' that it is well-organized, and that it involves
a variety of organizations, including the government. It's well-organized, and it frequently includes
certification and accreditation.

c) Non-Formal Learning/Education
“any organizational activity outside the established formal system – whether it is operating
separately or as an important feature of some broader activity – that is intended to serve
identifiable learning clienteles and learning objectives” (Wain 1987:51)

In other words, while non-formal education is not part of the "established educational system," it is a
planned and structured activity that serves a specific group of students. There may be an organization
involved in the education program, but it is not always an education program, and it is not always an
educational institution, for example, organized education programs operated by companies, trade
unions, and churches.

The ideas of Popular Education were created, with the goal of allowing adults to learn new things for
the sake of change. Not merely for knowledge or information, adult education through popular
education must result in execution. It also highlights the fact that adult learners have prior learning
experience, which should be the facilitator's starting point. Even though the facilitator knows more
about the subject, in Popular Education, the facilitator also learns from the participants' experiences.

Workshop Planning and Facilitation Skills (Section 2)
This program was designed to teach participants how to plan and facilitate seminars. They were also
exposed to various educational approaches. There are two types of methods that can be used.

a) Teacher Centered Methods. Straight lectures followed by debates could be used. Alternatively, the
instructor can prepare guided questions ahead of time.

b) Learner- Centered Methods: Brainstorming, small group conversations, role plays, and case
studies.
Depending on the goal and time constraints, any of these strategies could be employed.

Skills Development Act, Section 3

The purpose of this session was to explore the law and its rights in relation to the SDA. According
to the SDA, the role of employees, employers, government, and community should be
investigated. To measure the SDA's advantages to workers.
Participants were given the SDA to examine its goals and discuss how we may make the SDA's
goals a reality in our workplaces and in society at large.

Workplace Skills Plan was the topic of discussion. The majority of the participants had no prior
knowledge of the topic.

Overall, the session was a success, and the participants got along swimmingly. They realized that
challenges on the shop floor have the same impact on employees. It makes no difference which
union or federation you belong to. The gang had become one by the end of the week. They were
greatly affected by the SDA. They believed that they had failed to provide to their members. The
desire to reach out and educate their members was a positive.

TUPQ-

Western Cape

The FETC: TUPQ, an accredited programme, is part of
the Western Cape Programme. DITSELA, as the
principal recognized provider in cooperation with
other labour service organizations, offers the Further
Education Certificate in Trade Union Practices (FETC:
TUPQ), which is the first general certificate in trade
unionism in South Africa. It is the first certificate in
this profession to be given as a Learnership with a
significant focus on on-the-job learning. As a result,
the curriculum has been developed as a learnership
to make conscious the learning from the union as a
work place with its own set of practices and
experiences.

The course consists of 150 credits. This has been
broken down into nine sections. Each module lasts
one week, or 40 hours of face-to-face study. The
course work and self-study component based on
these modules account for 30% of face-to-face
learning and 70% of workplace learning. In addition,
as part of the induction of participants, a weeklong
Portfolio Development Course is offered to provide
access to individuals who do not formally meet the
admission requirements and to prepare those who
want to compete for credit after the first two
compulsory core modules.

DITSELA began March by preparing for our TUPQ
Math/Math Literacy Fundamentals classes, which
began the first week of the month in the Western
Cape. 37 motivated students in class and 1 online
class participated in fruitful and instructive sessions,
soaking up whatever they could.

ADMINISTRATION COURSE




DITSELA hosted their Administrator Development Course for the first time at their new space on April
15th, 2022. Thirty-one (31) people attended the training, representing a variety of provinces and
federations.

The overall goal of this session is to assist Administrators in situating themselves in the Union context by
broadening their awareness of what a Union is, its mission, values, and history, as well as enhancing their
ability to administer the Union office efficiently.

Comrades learn how to improve existing office systems and filing; how to
create small databases using Excel Spreadsheets; how to give meaning to
trade union values, the importance of prompt and effective service to
members; and how to improve their office management by being
innovative and proactive, among other things.

“I didn’t expect it to be as practical as it was; it was a strange
combination of very inspirational as well as extremely practical. It’s

quite often that you get courses that you sign up for or do that
aren’t as useful as you may have thought they’d be, but this one was
incredibly useful. We had a session on “free writing” and often things
like this turn out to be a little bit abstract and not of value but this
was extremely valuable in terms of tapping into your subconscious

mind, to refresh your memory from your subconscious. We did
“minute-taking” in great detail as well as something I’ve always

found strange and accessible- “Mail Merging.”
“The facilitator, Ms. Dlamini, was extremely engaging, humorous,
you could really tap into what she was saying and the technical
aspects were really detailed. And I’m really grateful to Ms. Dlamini,
and DITSELA as a whole, for everything they’ve done for us to ensure
that everything was smooth- sailing for us. I’m truly, grateful, Thank-

You!”- Fern Ellis (NAPTOSA)
We extend our heartfelt thanks to
our funder, the Department of
Employment and Labour that ma
de this possible as well as all participants
that took part in the course.

Siyakhuluma Seminar-

JHB

The objective of the Siyakhuluma seminars is to initiate and stimulate debate and explore different perspective
on contemporary issues taking place locally as well as globally from a working class perspective.
On March 18th, 2022, the first annual Siyakhuluma Seminar of the year was conducted, with the theme of the
Mental Health Crisis in South Africa and the response of the Labour Movement. The goal of the Siyakhuluma
seminars is to start a discussion and examine diverse perspectives on current issues that are happening locally
and worldwide from a working-class perspective. This was an online event, which took place on both Zoom
and Facebook and featured two keynote speakers, Dale McKinley (ILRIG Senior Researcher) and Bongani
Mazibuko (DENOSA). The seminar drew over 80 participants.
In his opening remarks, Dale McKinley noted that mental illness is a problem that is rarely discussed. It was
perceived as not belonging to our organizations, and that it was past time for us to participate in constructive
dialogue.
It was not a South African event, but rather a global phenomenon. We were forced to isolate by Covid-19.
Privatization of social services,

which resulted in employment losses, caused people to individualize the problem; it removed our communal
attitude, and society encouraged dog-eat-dog ideals. It's a case of virus capitalism.
According to statistics, three-quarters of people do not receive aid. When the virus hit Gauteng, the number
of people who committed suicide soared. Mental health services are in chaos, which is causing the issue to
worsen. Working-class people must suffer long lines at public hospitals since private services are pricey. The
availability of services reveals society's class and ethnic disparities.
We tend to be quiet in our communities because we don't want to appear weak. There is stigmatization,
despite the fact that mental illness is a worldwide problem.

Comrade Dale, went on to tell the audience that he had
lost three friends and comrades who had committed
suicide. It's very painful when you're close to someone.

How can we deal with this problem in our own society, i.e.
the progressive world? We must consider the objective
facts. There's no need to sugar-coat anything.
Further within the discussion, it was highlighted how
we've disregarded it as a personal matter, which is
incorrect and ineffective. We must build enabling
environments.

We require a progressive path forward. We must
establish support networks.
"At the risk of sounding silly, let me emphasize that the
true revolutionary is guided by strong feelings of love,"
Che Guevara said.

When it comes to inclusive human love, comrades,
capitalism has assaulted those principles. We need to
talk about much bigger ties.

We must acknowledge that a problem exists; we must debunk the stigma, talk about it, and not
dismiss it as a sign of weakness. We need to build a culture of listening, sharing, engagement,
support, and unity within the organization.
The second speaker, DENOSA's comrade Bongani Mazibuko, pointed out that men, regardless of
colour or class, are the most vulnerable to suicide.
Death and job losses are all around us; we are social creatures and the isolation has had a negative
impact on mental health.
There was a need for government to increase the budget health. Let's remove the stigma associated
with mental illness. We need the psychosocial support. He agreed with comrade Dale that mental
health should not be viewed as a sign of weakness.
Participants felt we need to discover contributory variables in the workplace, according to our
comrades. How do we train our union members to recognize it in the workplace?
Another problem is the socialization that guys do not cry. It isn't always destitute folks that commit
suicide.
One of the speakers said that we also need to look at the causes; economic, if you don't have the
fundamentals, it has a significant impact.
We live in a culture that divides us socially, not only by race but also by class, and there is a dread of
insecurity that pervades our communities.

The political and organizational aspects of it, where our organizations fail to integrate what we have.
Organizational challenges: we don't always comprehend what it means when we call each other comrades.
The film "The Take," about employees in Argentina who took over a plant that was going to be closed down by the
owners, also deals with social and health issues as well as other professional services that the workers were
about to lose.
Comrade Dale gave an example of how comrades showed a sports film of people at a soccer field, interacting and
sharing their own life experiences, at the memorial service of the late Khanya College Director, comrade Oupa
Lehulere, and because comrade Oupa liked soccer and played it, it was one way of showing how recreational
activities could be used as a space to bring people together and build the spirit of solidarity.

Health Talk:
Cardiovascular Diseases

For the past 2 years, all efforts and focus has shifted to combat the spread of Covid-19. However,
Tuberculosis (TB); HIV and Aids, Cardiovascular diseases and other underlining illnesses; still remain a
huge concern.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9
million lives each year. CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include
coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions. More
than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one third of these deaths
occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.

The most important behavioural risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet, physical
inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. The effects of behavioural risk factors may show up
in individuals as raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised blood lipids, and overweight and
obesity. These “intermediate risks factors” can be measured in primary care facilities and indicate an
increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other complications.

Cessation of tobacco use, reduction of salt in the diet, eating more fruit and vegetables, regular
physical activity and avoiding harmful use of alcohol have been shown to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease. Health policies that create conducive environments for making healthy choices
affordable and available are essential for motivating people to adopt and sustain healthy behaviours.

Identifying those at highest risk of CVDs and ensuring they receive appropriate treatment can prevent
premature deaths. Access to noncommunicable disease medicines and basic health technologies in all
primary health care facilities is essential to ensure that those in need receive treatment and
counselling.

References:
[https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-
diseases#tab=tab_3]

Health Talk:

Cardiovascular Diseases

Symptoms:
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Acknowledgements:
[https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_3]
[https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-disease/treatment-
prevention/#:~:text=Lifestyle%20changes%20include%20eating%20a,medication%20to%20treat%2
0heart%20disease]

Birthdays

this month, we celebrated the following
birthdays...

Gcinaphi Maria
13 March 23 March

Hip Hip Hoorays to you! We hope you've had
yourselves a wonderful day and wish you
many more years to come!

Make sure never to miss out on what's new with
DITSELA

Go to our website: www.ditsela.org.za

011 492 0302
021 959 2581

[email protected]

@DitselaWorkersEducationInstitute