COSATU NW and the ANC councillor candidates
The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West wants to appreciate that their participation was respected on the list processes from the ground level and during the whole night meeting of the extended ANC PEC that was given the mandate from the ANC NWC to work on the list, properly following the ANC list processes which was overlooked by some of the deployees.
Want we what to be on record is that when the ANC changed all that was done in the whole night of the 16 of March until the morning of the 17 March 2011 was changed even without informing the alliance.
As COSATU we want to be on record that we condemn and reject strongly that the federation was not informed regarding the changes on ANC list.
We are requesting and appealing to all members of the federation and loyal members of the ANC in all regions that we must go out and work for the ANC to win the election; let's close the book of complaining. Those who know very well that they were not nominated by the real ANC branches and supported by members of the communities will remain with sins in their heart during the election work and when they are in council to perform their duties as per the ANC manifesto.
The federation condemns the independent candidates, the burning of government properties, damaging of ANC properties and the plan of resigning from the ANC due to your name being removed from the list.
We are aware that some of the removals are based on the faction that took place during the ANC regional and the provincial conferences in November 2010 and February 2011 which must be condemned strongly by COSATU.
Both the ANC regional chairperson and the provincial chairperson, during their acceptance speeches, indicated the importance of the call for unity in the province which is supported by COSATU.
None of us was born as a councillor, born as the secretary, born as the mayor or born as the MEC. For us to be in those positions we must be elected by our constituency and serve the poor communities as per the mandates of our movement.
As the federation in the NW we are calling for a cool down from all those who are removed from the list due to factions, due to friends, due to business opportunities including populists in the ANC.
The ANC is not for sale; those who are imposed on the communities will not fail the ANC in the long run like those who are removed before the end of their term. The ANC belongs to the masses of the poor people and it will win the election not for the individuals who continue to use the ANC for their own business opportunities.
COSATU NW is on the ground to make sure that ANC wins the 2011 election. We are also warning the DA to stop promising our poor people things that they did not do when their friend of the National party were in power. If the DA today speaks about non racism in their manifesto, why are poor farm workers, and domestic workers who worked for them still being racially killed, assaulted, insulted and evicted.
Why do most white farmers not follow our constitution, or the laws and are corrupting most of our officials, in particular labour inspectors? The DA has never represented the African black people in this country; we must not be fooled.
COSATU calls all its members to remain in the movement of the people, the ANC. COSATU calls its supports go out and vote for the ANC, the only movement that bought the democracy in SA.
COSATU calls all its shop stewards to go out and campaign for the ANC in all wards, in farm areas, in all rural communities, in all townships.
We call on our farm workers not to be used for the election by white racist farmers, not to be intimidated by any farmer during Election Day, refuse to be associated with any other political party. Only the ANC can change your working conditions under the ANC government and organised in COSATU affiliates.
Statement issued by COSATU NW Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe, March 28 2011
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