The South African Communist Party (SACP) salutes COSATU on its 21st anniversary today, Friday. 01 December 2006.
As the SACP we are proud to be associated with this occasion and an organisation like COSATU. We are proud because of the revolutionary role that this federation has played in organising workers in our country and its enormous contribution in the liberation of our country as well as its role in the task of reconstructing and developing our country. You truly deserve a happy 21st birthday.
A lot has happened over the last 21 years of the existence of COSATU. Amongst the most notable developments during this period has been the election of a democratic government with progressive labour market regime. Since 1994 particularly we have seen other major gains, including provision of basic social services to an increasing number of our people who were denied this under the apartheid regime. The overwhelming support that the ANC-led Alliance enjoys, is also as a result of the contributions and sacrifices made by organised workers in our country under the leadership of COSATU.
Amongst other things COSATU needs to be saluted for is its role in forging the unity and cohesion of our Alliance based on revolutionary principles and commitment to the ideals of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).
It is for this reason that perhaps the most important message that should go out of this celebration is the absolute necessity for the unity of our Alliance.
Your 21st anniversary also comes at a time when the relationship between the SACP and COSATU has never been this strong. We commit ourselves to deepening this relationship, as it is the only foundation for the working class to provide leadership to society as a whole, and to realize our common programmatic perspectives on making the second decade of our freedom, a decade for the workers and the poor.
We commit ourselves to deepening this relationship, as it is the only basis for consolidating a working class-led, socialist oriented national democratic revolution, as the only basis towards our goal of building socialism in our country. To us the organised working class is the backbone of the NDR and the struggle for socialism.
On this day, the World Aids Day, we also wish to salute the role that has been played by COSATU in fighting the scourge of HIV/AIDS in our country. The SACP, together with COSATU and the Alliance as a whole will continue to be a dependable ally and partner in the struggle to defeat this pandemic.
The SACP will in the coming few months engage COSATU and its affiliates around the progressive resolutions taken by the federation’s 9th congress in September 2006. Some of these resolutions, have direct implications for the unity and cohesion of our movement, as they indicate the commitment and the seriousness with which organized workers are approaching the challenges facing our democracy.
With these words we say happy birthday, and may you grow from strength to strength, for the sake of our people and our revolution.
Issued by : SACP
CONTACT:
Malesela Maleka
SACP Spokesperson
Tel: 011 339 3621
Fax: 011 339 4244
Cell: 082 226 1802
Email: Malesela@sacp.org.za