President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the strengthening of the tripartite alliance saying it was the only vehicle that was able to solve the problems of poverty, unemployment and inequality in the country.
He said even Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa was working closely with unions in the energy sector to resolve the problems of load shedding.
Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi came out in support of the ANC before the elections saying they must all work together to ensure the ruling party retained power.
She said this would be the most difficult elections the ANC has faced since the dawn of democracy in 1994 and the tripartite alliance had to mobilise support for the ANC.
Ramaphosa, Losi and SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila were addressing the main Cosatu May Day rally in the Free State on Monday.
Ramaphosa said the alliance must be strengthened.
While the ANC has won some of the battles, there were many battles that lie ahead.
The alliance remains a key vehicle in which the country can resolve its immediate and long-term challenges.
He said the ANC would have to sit down with the SACP and Cosatu (to decide) how they can strengthen the alliance.
Both Cosatu and the SACP have been calling for the reconfiguration of the alliance.
They reiterated this message at the May Day rally in the Free State.
Ramaphosa said all members of the alliance had a role to play.
“It is for this reason comrades that we want a strong alliance. We need to sit down together to discuss the alliance, how we can strengthen it, how we can reconfigure it so that this alliance continues to lead the attainment of the National Democratic Revolution,” said Ramaphosa.
Losi said they fully supported the ANC in the elections next year.
“President (Ramaphosa) and general secretary of the party (Mapaila) we must go into the elections in 2024, our most difficult elections since 1994, united and determined to defend the main gains workers have won since 1994,” said Losi.
She said workers could not be left at the hands of political parties that will do away with labour laws and leave them in the lurch.
The victory for the ANC in the elections was to protect workers in the country.
Mapaila reiterated the call for a reconfigured alliance.
He said all members of the alliance must be involved in decisions taken.
This would include ministers when it came to policy-making processes.
“In other words, no ministers must act as if they are independent of the alliance collective. The alliance must act as a strategic political centre of our shared common political strategy of the National Democratic Revolution towards the attainment of ideals in the Freedom Charter, especially economic sections of the Freedom Charter,” said Mapaila.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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