Mzwanele Manyi's weekend work proposal ignites public backlash.
Image: Chris Collingridge / Independent Newspapers
UMkhonto WeSizwe Party (MKP) chief whip Mzwanele Manyi is in hot water after he suggested that weekends should be scrapped and treated as normal weekdays.
"Why aren't Saturday and Sunday normal working days? That 8-day monthly gap makes no sense, especially for the unemployed who need every opportunity to earn and hustle," he posted on X.
Manyi was swiftly hit with accusations of being classist, anti-poor and spreading a dangerous message as someone in a position of political power.
"Trying to reverse the generational gains of our progressive labour policies hard won through protests and negotiations by civil society and unions?" An X user asked the seasoned politician.
The notion of a two-day weekend for workers first emerged in the late 1800s during the Industrial Revolution, with early efforts for a half-day off on Saturdays in the 1840s in the United Kingdom. While the 40-hour workweek was not officially established until 1938, Henry Ford implemented a two-day weekend for his production workers in the early 1900s.
"The primary role of weekends in an employee's life is to provide an opportunity for rest and recovery. The demands of the modern workplace can be mentally and physically exhausting. Continuous work without adequate breaks can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and a range of health issues," said business and employment-oriented social network, LinkedIn.
Manyi was also accused of dehumanising those who are living in poverty.
"Poverty truly dehumanises. As lawmaker, you're calling for the further exploitation of the poor by making them work more and not chastising employers for low pay. Capitalism needs critique. Workers deserve family time; it's capitalists who should stop trapping value at the top."
"Who needs rest, hobbies, or basic human dignity when we could all be working ourselves into dust seven days a week? Revolutionary stuff," read another comment.
Another X user questioned Manyi's politics. "Conditioning SA to scrap overtime. These people claim to fight for the poor while oppressing them."
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