One of the three members of the tripartite alliance in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has warned the party of looming disaster if it does not clean up its act come polling day in 2024.
The alliance is made up of the ANC, South African Community Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
Issuing the warning on Tuesday, COSATU president Zingiswa Losi said the 2024 national election would be critical for South Africa’s future and the ANC leadership of Cyril Ramaphosa should resolve the problems bedevilling the country such as 46-percent unemployment.
Losi said the ANC needed to rid itself of corrupt elements in the party if it wanted to avoid suffering the same fate as it did in the 2021 local government elections, where it won less than 50 percent of the seats nationwide.
“We must contest the ANC and alliance to ensure the voice of workers is not sidelined. Let’s help the ANC get rid of criminal elements if it wants to be saved,” Losi said.
She added: “If the ANC does not get its act together, deliver quality public services, tackle corruption, fix Eskom, save Metrorail and Transnet (public rail), grow the economy, create jobs and provide relief for the unemployed, then we will face a repeat of the disastrous 2021 election results in 2024.”
Nearly 2,000 COSATU delegates are meeting to elect a new leadership.
Losi, who is seeking a second term in office, was nominated unopposed as president of the union, and first deputy president Mike Shingange was also nominated unopposed.
Current deputy general-secretary Solly Phetoe was nominated unopposed to replace Bheki Ntshalintshali as general-secretary.
Simon Hlungwani and Duncan Luvuno will face off for the second deputy president position, while Freda Oosthuizen was nominated treasurer.
NM/jn/APA