AN ALLIANCE that has the strength, resilience and the commitment to advance the revolution for which the alliance exists needed to be built with Cosatu as the spear and the ANC as the shield, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said while addressing the Sadtu gala dinner in KwaZulu Natal yesterday.
The ANC presidential hopeful after the party’s elective conference in December said Sadtu occupied a special place in the history of the struggle for a better life for all. “It is this union that fought and won the battle for the recognition of a teachers’ union in our country. You spearheaded the fight for collective bargaining in the public sector. You were at the forefront of gender equality in the education sector. You guaranteed that the conditions of service for women improve and that maternity benefits are paid to women teachers,” he said.
He said on behalf of the poor and the working class, Sadtu continued to oppose the privatisation of education ensuring the right to education was enjoyed by many, not a privileged few. The teachers’ union was not only organising and championing the needs of educators in early childhood development, but remained invested in the welfare of teachers who were committed to work in remote, poor rural communities.
“To succeed in developing our nation, we cannot leave the education of our children to chance. The members of Sadtu know that education is the most effective and powerful tool we possess to achieve reconstruction and development. At your launch, we entrusted Sadtu with the historic mandate to develop a new generation of patriotic South Africans who cherished the dreams and championed the interests of the poor,” Ramaphosa said.
It was widely known that if a combined effort was not put in transforming the performance of the education system and its management, the deeply entrenched social and racial inequities of our horrible past would be perpetuated.
“Together we abolished race as the basis for attending school. Working with you, we have improved educational outcomes and school attendance. Working with you, we introduced a pro-poor funding model. Together we are expanding early childhood development, prioritising teacher development and improving the quality of learning and teaching. We continue to look to SADTU for leadership,” he said.
“We look to your members to drive the implementation of the National Development Plan vision to diversify our economy and grow it through improved education and skills development. We look to Sadtu members to fight corruption and to root out violence, racism and sexism in our schools. We look to SADTU to stand up against the sexual exploitation of learners, male and female. We look to you to lead campaigns to make schools safe from crime, drugs and alcohol abuse.”
Ramaphosa said faith remained unshakable Sadtu would play a decisive role in returning the ANC to its founding values of service and selflessness. “And so when we celebrate the achievements of the democratic developmental state, it is an opportunity to celebrate the vital role that Cosatu affiliates like Sadtu have consistently played in expanding the frontiers of freedom and human fulfillment.”
“We must build the alliance as an effective instrument of workers’ struggle. We must build Cosatu as the spear and the ANC as the shield. We must build an alliance that has the strength, the resilience and the commitment to advance the revolution for which our alliance exists,” Ramaphosa said.
He said even now – as our country and the ANC encountered many difficulties – “we remain determined that we will not surrender the revolution. We will not surrender the revolution to greed, corruption and patronage. We will not surrender the institutions of our democratic state to those who want to seize them for their own enrichment”.
He said the revolution would not be surrendered to those who subvert democratic practice, who manipulate procurement processes and who influence appointments so that they may appropriate the resources that rightly belong to the people of this country. Only a united ANC, SACP and Cosatu – Ramaphosa said – can effectively lead the fundamental transformation that the people of SA need and demand.
“We will not surrender the revolution to reckless rhetoric and empty promises. We will not surrender the revolution to those who argue that employment equity undermines the principle of merit, that black economic empowerment hinders growth or that progressive labour legislation constrains productivity.” He said there was no other way to achieve a sustained inclusive growth than through the economic empowerment of the country’s black majority.
We will continue to argue – and to demonstrate – that it is only through the fundamental transformation our economy that we will realise the full potential of our people and enjoy the full benefit of our country’s bountiful resources.
“We will not surrender the revolution to those who continue to violate the rights of workers, who continue to pay poverty wages and who continue to endanger the lives and well-being of their employees. We will not surrender the revolution to those who continue to discriminate against women, who continue to oppress them and exploit them. We will continue the fight against patriarchy in all its forms and manifestations,” Ramaphosa said.
He said a call had been made to protect the economy and sovereignty of the country. It was only when the workers were vigilant that the interests of the people could be advanced. He said it was only when workers were united and effectively organised that the economy can be transformed and society changed.
