The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has strongly rejected what it terms “irresponsible” remarks made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who suggested that trade unions are responsible for high unemployment owing to their wage demands.

The federation said that as a senior law enforcement leader, Mkhwanazi should be focused on crime prevention, not targeting unions that defend workers’ rights.

South Africa's unemployment rate worsened by 0.3 of a percentage point to 33.2% in the second quarter, compared with the unemployment rate of 32.9% reported for the first quarter of the year.

Last week, Statistics South Africa reported that there had been an increase of 19 000 in the number of employed persons to 16.8-million, while there was an increase of 140 000 in the number of unemployed persons to 8.4-million in the second quarter. This resulted in an increase of 159 000 in the labour force during the same period.

Fedusa said that the country’s unemployment crisis was not caused by workers demanding fair wages.

“…it is the direct outcome of poor governance, collapsing infrastructure, loadshedding, corruption, and years of austerity that have undermined the economy and stripped critical public services of resources. To blame unions is to mislead the public and shift attention away from government’s failures,” it said.

Fedusa pointed to issues in the South African Police Service, such as frozen posts, chronic underfunding, and the hollowing out of capacity.

“Workers cannot be scapegoated for the State’s refusal to invest in safety, security, and job creation,” it said.

Fedusa said it would continue fighting for decent work, worker protection, and fair labour practices, while holding leaders accountable for the structural reforms needed to rebuild South Africa’s economy.