African National Congress (ANC) alliance partners, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) agree that corruption is one of the country’s biggest threats and action must be taken to deal with crimes which have seen billions of rands stolen from government coffers over the years.
On Monday, Cosatu threw down the gauntlet challenging President Cyril Ramaphosa to act against corruption decisively or risk losing its support.
As pressure mounts for the authorities to arrest individuals who are implicated in tender fraud during COVID-19 procurement processes, the ANC’s allies appear to be losing faith in Ramaphosa’s ability to deal with the problem.
Cosatu said the President should proven he is not a powerless scarecrow with rubber teeth as more revelations of corruption by other ANC leaders and members during the pandemic emerged.
The SACP said it notes Cosatu’s sentiments, while it also issued a condemnation against corruption when it marked its 99th anniversary on Monday.
Alex Mashilo, the party’s spokesperson said:
“…and we will continue our bilateral engagement in pursuit of common objectives.”
Meanwhile, Cosatu affiliate, the National Education, Health and Allied Worker’s Union is planning major protest action in the coming weeks against the Health Department, saying workers were forced to work without protective equipment as the scandal over personal protective equipment tenders grows.
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