Johnathan Paoli
ANC Secretary General Fikile April Mbalula has praised the party’s union alliance partners for their support in the project of transformation.
Mbalula was addressing the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU)’s two-day National Policy Conference at the Kloof Holiday Resort, in Rustenburg on Wednesday and outlined the ANC’s achievements over the last three decades.
“As the ANC we take pride in the solidarity with all our alliance partners and their various affiliates. SATAWU has continued to be a dependable ally in our shared struggle for a better life for all in South Africa,” Mbalula said.
Mbalula reminded the conference that it was the ANC government that established the National Transport Master Plan as a long term vision aimed at sustaining the country’s projected growth and focus on integrated transport planning to ensure different modes of transport complement each other, including freight across modes of air, maritime, road, rail as well as passenger transportation.
“We remain committed as the ANC to ensuring that freight moves from road to rail by refurbishing the capacity of our rail and ports. This would enable the safety of road transport users as well as stop the destruction of our roads,” he said.
Referencing Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande’s budget speech, Mbalula said the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is currently funding students with a budget allocation of R47,6 billion, with universities being allocated R38.6 billion and TVET Colleges R8,9 billion.
He said that over 900 000 students are funded by NSFAS in universities and TVET colleges, with funding being increased from R21,4 million to over R47.6 billion.
The SG reiterated what he called his party’s “commitment” in transforming the lives of workers, and overcoming the challenges and legacies of the past.
“The ANC remains committed to the struggle of workers, with many laws having been passed such as on Employment Equity to defeat inequality across race, gender and class. We therefore put to lie any claim that the ANC government has not furthered the interests of workers in South Africa through evidence that speaks for itself,” Mbalula said.
He said the Review Report would vindicate the ANC as the foremost and unprecedented champion of national transformation in the country, in the continent and globally over a mere three decades.
Meanwhile, Congress of South African Trade Unions-affiliated organisations in KwaZulu-Natal are participating in a Provincial Political Workshop to deepen class consciousness, sharpen ideological outlook and strengthen trade unionism, and unions in the Northern Cape embarked on pamphleting, blitzing and mop up activities to mobilize workers to participate in the upcoming International Workers Day on 1 May.
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