Cape Town - The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) said it would stand by the ANC in the upcoming elections, going door-to-door to ensure it mobilised workers to vote.
Speaking at a May Day rally in Athlone, which commemorated Workers’ Day, yesterday, Cosatu president, Zingiswa Losi, said the federation will work with the ANC to tackle unemployment, crime and corruption.
“We are working with government and business in our industrial master plans to remove the obstacles to growing the economy.
“We are seeing green shoots from the retail sector committing to increase locally produced clothes on their shelves from 40% to 60%, helping to save thousands of clothing jobs from Salt River to Atlantis.
“We have seen new investments in the motor manufacturing plants from Pretoria to Uitenhage and a surge in locally manufactured vehicles from 300 000 a few years ago to nearly 400000 today, creating thousands of jobs.
“We will stand by the ANC as we unleash our elections machinery criss-crossing workplaces from the farms of George to the shopping centres of Durban,” said Losi.
The event at the stadium was attended by thousands of ANC, SACP, and Cosatu members, which started with a march to show solidarity with Palestine.
President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated the ANC and its alliance partners’ commitment to supporting the people of Palestine and bringing about an end to the genocide in Gaza.
“We want the people of Palestine to do what Madiba said should be done. They too must enjoy the freedom that we are enjoying.
“It was Madiba who said, ‘Our freedom will never be complete until the freedom of the Palestinians is achieved’.
“We also want the people of Western Sahara to win their own self-determination.”
Ramaphosa said the ANC government had created many job opportunities and that it continues to do so.
“(These) are going to be the most important elections. But there are those who go around the country saying all manner of things, saying that the ANC is going to be below 50%. I want to give them a very clear message.
“The workers of this country and the people of this country are not going to allow the ANC to grow below 50%.
“They are working for an outright majority of the African National Congress. And here in the Western Cape, we are going to show those who believe that the Western Cape belongs to them that the African National Congress is coming after you.”
Meanwhile, John Steenhuisen, leader of the DA, also held a Workers’ Day celebration in Mitchells Plain.
“Freedom means very little without a job. The truth is that the national unemployment rate was 20% in 1994, when the ANC took power.
“Today, it is over 32%. And it increases to over 40% if you include people who have given up on ever finding a job.
“Out of every 10 young people looking for work, 7 will never find a job if things remain as they are,” said Steenhuisen.
zolani.sinxo@inl.co.za