The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Eastern Cape joins the various progressive stakeholders in welcoming Councillor Tsileng Sobuthongo as the new executive Mayor of the Alfred Nzo District.

Cllr. Sobuthongo assumed this responsibility earlier today, making her the youngest District Executive Mayor in the province of Eastern Cape.

COSATU as a progressive federation is extraordinarily moved by the overwhelming confidence expressed by the District Council members in this dedicated servant of the people. She is the third female municipal leader at this level, after the Nelson Mandela and Buffalo City Metros in the current electoral term.   

We call upon all workers to support her, as we expect to Mayor Sobuthongo to intensify the delivery of public services to the downtrodden masses of the working-class.

She comes into office at a time when illegal substances in schools, violence against women and children seek to rear their ugly head in governance statistics of the district municipality. As such COSATU calls on the mayor to hasten the provision of safety measures in this regard.

We are still reeling from the dreadful shooting that resulted in the killing of three harmless and innocent souls at Ntabankulu Senior Primary School. Working together with other stakeholders, we are looking forward to having the social ills collectively addressed by the organs of the civil society.

We wish the District Mayor all the best in her new area of responsibility.            

Issued by the COSATU Eastern Cape Secretariat

Mkhawuleli Maleki

082 339 5482