Cosatu calls for ANC support

2004-03-16 13:26

Johannesburg - Cosatu shop stewards from Gauteng met in Johannesburg on Tuesday to put together a plan towards ensuring that the African National Congress wins the April 14 election.

Clad in Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) gear, the shop stewards, from affiliated unions, sang songs praising the ruling party and calling for workers to vote for the ANC.

"The African National Congress is the only party close to the workers. It adheres to the workers' needs.

"There is no other party that can assist and listen to the problems of the workers - we call on all workers to vote ANC," said Motebang Palake of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa.

Palake is among hundreds of shop stewards from different factories and companies in the province gathered at the Johannesburg City Hall.

Gauteng Cosatu chairperson Matserane wa Mapena, said: "We are here to discuss how we finish the journey - to make sure the ANC wins the election.

"It is the only party that can implement the workers' needs."

He said Cosatu had resolved at its eighth national congress in September 2003 to campaign for the ANC in the election.

"Cosatu adopted that it play a decisive role in the 2004 election as well as subsequent elections and shaping the election platform.

"We need to maintain the overwhelming predominance of the ANC."

He said the Cosatu's 2015 plan would succeed if the ANC is in power. "ANC has proved in the past 10 years that it can put people forward - the poor will benefit."

He said people on the ground were happy with the ruling party's progress and understand that the people's contract would be a success if they worked together with the ANC.

ANC provincial secretary David Makhura told the shop stewards that "only the ANC can protect the rights of the workers. It has done so in the past 10 years - it tackled unemployment and poverty".

He acknowledged that a number of people had been retrenched from their companies while some were unemployed. He said the ANC was working hard to create jobs and to make sure companies do not retrench workers.

Cosatu is part of an alliance with the ANC and the SA Communist Party.

- SAPA