COSATU expectations for Opening of Parliament Address
16 July 2024
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has high expectations for the Opening of Parliament Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday 18 July. The challenges facing workers and the economy are daunting; from a 42% unemployment rate and stagnant economic growth, to entrenched poverty and inequality, endemic crime and corruption, and struggling public and municipal services.
May 29th’s election results have shown the consequences of society losing faith in government and the political establishment. These results, including the failure of our ally, the African National Congress, to achieve an outright majority, must serve to cajole government to hit the ground running and move with speed to grow the economy, create decent jobs, rebuild the state and tackle crime and corruption.
Society has sent a very clear signal that they correctly expect Parliament and government (at all levels) to lead by example. The days of elected public representatives helping themselves to the fiscus and behaving like juvenile delinquents need to end. Those who cannot abide by the Constitution must be made guests of Correctional Services’ facilities.
COSATU expects the President’s Address to provide an account of progress made by the 6th administration, respond decisively to society’s challenges and set clear interventions and timeframes to address these. It is critical the 7th administration build upon and accelerate the momentum set in place during the previous term. Key areas government needs to focus on include:
Increasing assistance for Eskom to end loadshedding, accelerate maintenance programmes, bring on board new generation, rollout investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure. These will boost Eskom’s ability to support the economy’s growth and industrialisation.
Ramp up support for Transnet and Metro Rail to secure and ensure all railway lines are fully operational, ports are modernised, and congestion ended as these will unlock the mining, manufacturing and agricultural sectors and help save and create thousands of jobs.
Similar stabilisation and rebuilding plans are needed for other embattled State-Owned Enterprises, particularly SABC, the Post Office and Postbank. With the right support and competent management, they can once again make a positive contribution to the economy and halt retrenchments.
Reviewing and boosting industrial financing and export incentives provided for critical growth and jobs intensive sectors.
Expediting the implementation of the new mining rights application system to unlock the mining sector, save and create badly needed jobs, and generate critical revenue for the state.
Intervention and capacitation programmes need to be accelerated to turn our rising numbers of distressed municipalities around and avoid creating ghost towns and communities.
Investing in and capacitating badly overstretched frontline public services, in particular Home Affairs, schools and health facilities; to enable them to provide the services society needs.
Boosting the war against crime and corruption by filling critical vacancies and ensuring law enforcement organs have the resources they need, specifically the South African Police Service, National Prosecuting Authority and courts.
Extending relief to the poor and unemployed, and help young people enter the labour market by drastically increasing the Presidential Employment Stimulus and setting a progressive path for raising the SRD Grant to the Food Poverty Line, linking its recipients to skills and employment programmes, and its transformation into a Universal Basic Income Grant.
Providing the South African Revenue Service the resources it needs to increase tax compliance from 64% to 70% within two years and thus providing the revenue required to fund public services critical to growing the economy.
Maintaining South Africa’s international relations based upon non-alignment, Africa’s development, boosting trade, and solidarity with struggling nations in particular Palestine and Cuba.
Government needs to appreciate that workers are anxious and uneasy about the Government of National Unity. The President and Cabinet need to assure workers with a clear commitment to protect workers’ hard-won rights and to maintain the transformation agenda we have embarked upon since 1994.
Once the President’s Address is concluded, it is critical that its commitments be resourced in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement and that Parliament hold the executive and all state organs accountable for its urgent implementation.
South Africa is at a crossroads. We have made major strides on many fronts since 1994 under the leadership of the ANC. Equally we have witnessed the devastation of state capture and unbridled corruption. We have seen positive progress in tackling loadshedding and corruption under President Ramaphosa. The potential to unlock the economy, rebuild the state and slash unemployment, poverty and inequality are there. But we do not have unlimited time. Society is correctly impatient and demands better from government. What is needed is for government to show the decisiveness and speed required.
Issued by COSATU.
Issued by Matthew Parks, Parliamentary Coordinator, COSATU, 17 July 2024
