Cosatu’s president Zingiswa Losi says the trade union federation does not have to choose between the African National Congress (ANC) or the South African Communist Party (SACP).
It says it remains in alliance with the ruling party.
Losi says Cosatu rallies behind the victory of the alliance with the African National Congress.
Cosatu held a post-Central Executive Committee (CEC) briefing this morning.
In its recent conference, 543 delegates voted in favour of dumping the ANC while 194 voted against it.
Cosatu says the 2024 elections pose a serious dilemma for the union. This, as the federation says it will not dump the ruling party ahead of the national elections next year.
The federation says as it pursues workers’ demands and interests in the upcoming elections, it needs to be bold.
Cosatu says the alliance needs to ensure that all preparations for the decisive victory are executed.
Losi says, “We are not dumping anyone, Cosatu’s 14th National Congress did not make any resolution on not supporting the ANC. In the CEC we spoke about us preparing for the 2024 elections in support of the ANC for its total victory. The discussion regarding the party, you’d know that the party had its own augmented central committee, it’s an internal discussion that is also ensued internally in their party but we remain in the alliance.”
Meanwhile, Cosatu’s General Secretary Solly Phetoe says government needs to put the interests of the people first.
He says government must be proactive in finding solutions to the country’s multitude of woes.
“The federation is deeply worried that last year’s momentum in reducing unemployment may be lost with the current rampant levels of load shedding suffocating the economy. The government’s failure to fix load shedding and drive the economic recovery has reached crisis levels. We re-iterate our calls for an activist government and a democratic developmental state that is capable of intervening effectively to transform economic relations.”
The federation has also called for the Social Relief of Distress Grant to be adjusted to at least R620.
It’s also calling for the reduction of the fuel price, which it says, is the most effective way to provide relief to South Africans and the economy.
