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COSATU president Zingiswa Losi has called on members of the country’s largest trade union federation to support the ANC ahead of the November 1 local government elections.
Losi delivered the opening address of Cosatu’s four-day central committee meeting, which started on Monday.
“Let us all go out and mobilise our families to vote in their numbers and ensure that the ANC will be returned to office on November 1,” she said.
Losi, who is also a member of the ANC national executive committee (NEC), said Cosatu members must watch municipalities and force them to deliver services and fight corruption and pay workers on time.
The federation’s call comes as one of its biggest affiliates, the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), resolved to support the ANC in the municipal polls.
”As Sadtu is an affiliate of Cosatu, which is part of the tripartite alliance, the NEC reiterated the union’s commitment to offer practical support to the ANC by campaigning in defence and deepening democracy as we move towards the local government elections,” the union announced.
At the central committee meeting, Sadtu will make several proposals, including making Covid-19 vaccines mandatory. This is in contrast with Losi, who warned during her address that mandatory vaccination will not work and may distract on the work for every person to vaccinate.
Losi said Cosatu was working with government to ensure mobile vaccination sites are available in every township, informal settlement, village and taxi rank in the country.
Losi called on Cosatu members to go out and mobilise every worker and their families to be vaccinated by Christmas.
“We owe it to our health workers,” she said.