SIYABONGA SITHOLE
The ANC’s alliance partners, the Cosatu) and the SACP, have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to unite the tripartite alliance following years of cracks in the once formidable partnership with the socialist movement and the working class.
Both Zingiswa Losi and Solly Mapaila of the SACP delivered their message to President Cyril Ramaphosa before his January 8 address at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium.
Losi said workers were tired of factions that were dividing the ruling party as well as the alliance. She said Ramaphosa should act on some of the concerns raised by Cosatu on a range of issues.
“Workers are tired of the factionalism that is dividing the movement. The workers were very clear in 2021 local government elections and have put ANC on notice and said the party must remove incompetent deployees,” Losi said.
Losi stated that Cosatu supported the ANC’s step-aside resolution, which should be used to ensure that charged members of the party and deployees to key government structures were held accountable for their transgressions.
“Workers support the step-aside resolution, and it appears we are backtracking on this issue. We cannot compromise, and those convicted of criminal offences must step aside. If we are to rebuild the state, then we need credible leaders,” she said.
Losi also called on Ramaphosa to address the division and cracks that have affected the relationship between Cosatu, the SACP and the ruling party.
“President, you endorsed the call of the SACP and Cosatu to reconfigure the Tripartite Alliance. Please lead us towards realising a functional alliance because at the heart of addressing the issues is fixing the state. We call on municipalities to ensure delivery of services to the people and communities. We cannot, as a federation, accept to sit by as we lose billions to corruption. Workers are angry that when they blow the whistle on corruption here in Mangaung and in Gauteng, and everywhere else, they are assassinated while those responsible are allowed to walk free,” she said.
Losi said if the ruling party was to win elections, it needed to address issues and get its act together.
“The ANC must get its act together if it is to win the general elections in 2024. We need decisive leadership and dare not fail the nation.”
Solly Mapaila of the SACP delivered the message to Ramaphosa, saying SACP looked forward to hearing from the president on how he planned to go about improving the lives of South Africans.
“We call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to deal without fear or favour and dismantle neo-liberal policies and clamp down on corruption. We want the ANC that is not led by factions or groupings. We want you to unite all revolutionary forces and our people. Please bring down inequality and youth unemployment. One of the biggest issues facing the (nation are) load shedding and energy supply,” Mapaila said.
Mapaila said the country could not afford to abandon coal in the middle of an energy crisis in the country and called for the president to prioritise job creation as one of the pillars of the country’s economic recovery.