The Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Northern Cape notes the Premier of the province will be delivering the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Thursday.

This SOPA comes amidst many socio-economic challenges facing the working class, the poorest of the poor and society in general, from poverty, inequality, unemployment, lack of service delivery, overall dilapidating infrastructure, particularly of hospitals and other health facilities, poor state of water and provision thereof, electricity crisis and many other basic needs that sustain lives.

The Federation therefore expects that the Premier will talk about ways and means of addressing all the above challenges, with clear time frames and programmes that are measurable.

We urge the premier to expedite the following:

• Establish the state-owned mining company that will help to create job opportunities with special focus on prospecting, mining and beneficiation of all our minerals.
• Extend the scope, aims and objectives of the state-owned construction company and be capacitated to take over the construction of infrastructure, houses and all other public works’ activities as opposed to the tendering system that has crippled the state.
• Absorption/insourcing of all outsourced staff and services in government departments especially at Health and Education affecting security personnel, Community Healthcare Workers, COVID-19 Brigades, government mortuary, Teachers on temporary contract and many other workers who have been ill-treated and exploited without benefits and other legal entitlements like UIF, medical aid and pension fund.
• Establish an inclusive multi-stakeholder steering-committee on economic development in the province. This committee must be replicated at regional and local municipality levels and its primary responsibility should be to activate communities for meaningful participation in identifying growth and development opportunities and develop strategies to mobilise resources and all other necessities to help in projects like back-yard gardening, crop and animal production, auto and motor repairs, panel-beating & spray-painting, reclaiming spaza-shops and many other economic activities for sustainable livelihoods.
• Filling-in of vacant funded positions specially where service delivery is compromised like in priority departments for example, health and education respectively.
• We also expect the Premier to announce the decision of life-style auditing of MEC’s, all HODs, senior managers and any public servant assigned with the responsibility of managing the public funds.
• The Federation expects that, the Premier will give an update on all cases of financial mismanagement and fraud in some instances, but, most importantly, progress regarding cases of corruption and methods that are put in place to combat this pandemic.
• Workers will be listening with keen interest for the announcement of catalytic projects that will change their lives, for example, housing for the “missing middle” especially the now renown project titled “Changing the face of the city” which aims to create over 20 000 jobs and boost economic growth.

Issued by COSATU Northern Cape

Orapeleng Moraladi (Provincial Secretary) 

Mobile: 0609785651 / 0784526891 (WhatsApp)

Email: orapeleng@cosatu.org.za