By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) urged the newly elected ANC leadership to intensify the fight against corruption and state capture, rebuild the state’s capacity to deliver quality public service, and help Eskom to end load shedding.
Delivering the federation’s message of support, President Zingiswa Losi said as much as the ANC had done well on many fronts, they could not be pleased with the state of the ruling party.
She said rampant factionalism, if allowed to continue, will destroy the movement and that they were ashamed by the behaviour of senior leaders taking to social media to insult their own organisation and leaders.
“We cannot be proud to read every week which Minister, MEC and Mayor stole what. Workers are angry the ANC fails to pay its own staff and for years could not be bothered to give their staff members an increase to protect their wages from inflation,” Losi said.
As a trade union movement, she said they will not keep quiet when their alliance partners fail to respect labour laws, adding that workers must be respected by their alliance partners and not treated like glorified slaves.
Losi said if the ANC was to be restored to its glory and fulfil its mandates, then its renewal must be intensified.
“No sober person will take us seriously if our leadership is populated by persons convicted of or charged with serious crimes. Leadership is not a birthright”, she said.
Losi said the federation applauds the work done to rebuild SARS which has generated badly needed additional revenue enabling the government to extend the Social Relief of Distress Grant and Presidential Employment Stimulus, providing relief to millions.
“We welcome the increasing numbers of persons being charged with corruption and the soon-to-be-tabled Public Procurement Bill, “she said.
Meanwhile ANC members are finalising the nomination of national executive committee members at conference.
The list of 200 nominees has to be finalised before elections for the additional members can take place, outgoing ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said on Monday afternoon.
Some ANC members had withdrawn from the list of 200 nominees that were finalised ahead of conference. Some members were also disqualified from contesting because of criminal convictions.
Ahead of the conference former ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini was disqualified from contesting because of her previous perjury conviction. ANC Eastern Cape PEC member Andile Lungisa was also disqualified because of suspension from the party.
After the nominations for NEC members is finalised members are expected to conclude commissions on policy discussions. While these commissions are ongoing, they will vote.
The focus later will shift on policy decisions the ANC takes for the next five years.