As a form of creating employment, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told scores of workers that they will create 2.5 million work opportunities within the next five years.
Mbalula said these work opportunities would assist tremendously in fighting unemployment.
“Over the past years, the ANC has been meeting basic needs of working people and instituting a social wage, through housing, electricity, water and sanitation, education and health, public transport, and infrastructure. That is the work the ANC is involved in,” he said.
Mbalula said this while addressing a Workers’ Day rally on Wednesday at Curries Fountain Stadium in Durban.
He said the partnership the party had with its alliance partners Cosatu and the SACP had ensured that workers’ rights were protected and advanced.
“Abasebenzi under Cosatu since 1985 have been an integral part of our Struggle against apartheid in our country. Today we thank Cosatu and the workers for actively ensuring that the ANC secures a decisive victory in the upcoming elections.”
During his address, he saluted one of the trade unionist leaders, Elijah Barayi, for his sterling contribution in the country’s liberation Struggle and the fight he waged against the apartheid regime.
“As we celebrate May Day, we do so remembering the life of one of our selfless leaders in the trade union movement, Comrade Elijah Barayi. We continue to say, ‘An injury to one is an injury to all’,” he reminded workers.
Mbalula said the organisation had a mammoth task these coming elections of defending what he called a “revolution” against organisations that are set to overthrow the governing party.
He urged workers to swell their communities in numbers to mobilise and make sure that people rally behind the ANC banner.
“One of our biggest tasks during this elections is to come out in our numbers and defend the revolution of our movement, especially against those who used to claim that they are with us, only for them to later show their true colours.”
The SACP’s first deputy general secretary Madala Masuku told workers they must not let the ANC be defeated, saying that the party’s defeat would mean the defeat of the people of South Africa.
“The ANC must be supported at all costs in the May 29 general elections. We need to give the ANC a resounding victory so that it can continue the struggle against the exploitation of workers,” Masuku added.
He told workers that they should not allow other political parties’ plot to bring about the downfall of the ANC to succeed.
The Star