Africa-Press – South-Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa used his May Day address to call for the strengthening and unity of the Tripartite Alliance ahead of the upcoming local government elections in October.
This is in the face of Cosatu warning the party to clean up its act or face the consequences.
Ramaphosa was delivering his May Day Address earlier on Saturday as the president of the ANC and called for a united alliance to mobilise and win the 2021 local government elections.
“The ANC appreciates the ongoing support of Cosatu and especially the renewed support for the forthcoming Local Government Elections in October 2021. We will, as in the past, work together to develop our Manifesto and wage this campaign vigorously in compliance with Covid-regulations.
“We must all work for a decisive victory in these local government elections. We have heard the pleas of workers to improve the way the Alliance functions and we are working together to achieve this,” Ramaphosa said.
He said that it was in such times of difficulty, as the Covid-19, that the Alliance must continue to show united leadership, calling for the alliance not to allow itself to be diverted from the challenging tasks at hand and to deal with matters that cause strife and division but be clear about addressing the needs of the people.
“A united Alliance, made of the peoples movement, the vanguard and the fighting force for workers, and a vibrant civic organisation, is still the best force to drive the National Democratic Revolution. It is certainly a strong force to lead our campaign against the pandemic,” Ramaphosa said.
Cosatu President Zingiswa Losi said that Cosatu and its affiliated unions had reaffirmed the decision of their members to endorse the ANC and called upon workers to vote for it, however she said that this was not a blank cheque for the ruling party.
“Councillors who have looted must be removed. The ANC must fix local government and ensure basic services are delivered.
“Municipal workers who have been dismissed for exposing corruption must be reinstated. Municipal workers who have not been paid their salaries must receive what is due to them,” Losi said.
She added that workers were disappointed with the behaviour of many ANC leaders and that it was up to the ANC if it wanted workers to continue to support it.
“Workers love the ANC but their patience is not indefinite. Clean up your act Luthuli House or face the consequences,” Losi added.
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