Cosatu calls on president Zuma to remind the Premier Zille about her governance obligation.
Cosatu is calling on the presidential national government legotla to remind the premier of the W Cape that the DA also has an obligation to support cooperative governance, with other levels of government . This obligation for cooperation also extends to the social partners as defined in National Legislation as it relates to the Nedlac and the Provincial Development Council.
The DA cooperates with business in the W Cape but refuses to cooperate with Labour and Civil Society, and is constantly trying to close down the institution of Cooperation in the W Cape. 8 months after its election the W Cape government has no coherent policy or plan to address the social injury in the W Cape, and its MEC are floundering. We are pleading with the National Government to assist the W Cape government to develop plans to address the deepening Governance crisis in the W Cape. The DA continues to act as an opposition party criticizing everything, but with a complete absence of direction for the important level of government that they lead in the W Cape.
The Premier and the Mayor has single handed contributed to the loss of 12000 manufacturing jobs by refusing to support the Proudly South African campaign, and not committing Government to purchasing South African made products. In 2008 the premier who was then the Mayor supported the Proudly South African campaign, and it now appears that her opposition is born not out of policy commitments, but only because the Premier is angry at Cosatu for opposing the DA in the elections campaign.
Given the recession and the incredible challenges around drugs and social fragmentation we must ensure that our politics are bigger than our petty differences. In this respect the President's principle of cooperation and inclusive leadership should be urged to the DA also.
As Cosatu we cannot sit by whilst the premier and the DA destroy jobs and refuse to put in place coherent plans for the Province, and watch the social fabric of our societies fall apart.
Should the premier fail to embrace cooperation, at this Legotla , we are going to have to force the DA to act tin the interest of poorer communities also.
Statement issued by COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, January 21 2010
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