Workers will struggle forever in South Africa said Vavi

 

ZUKISWA MQUMBISA

Cosatu General-Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said workers struggle will never end until all South Africans are co-owners of farms and mines. While addressing masses who came to celebrate Workers Day at Dan Qeqe Stadium in Zwide.  In his speech Vavi said, the issue of unemployment in South Africa will remain a crisis until workers are taken care off. “We are living in a country where 34.1% of our people are unemployed. They are being robbed of their right to dignity. South Africa has the most high unemployment rate, especially young people. We are number four in the whole world, as a country whose children are unemployed” he said. Vavi also emphasised that people cannot only live social grants, although social grants are playing a meaningful role in poverty alleviation. “People need to be equipped with skills and more jobs need to be created, people cannot only live on grants. Yes poverty is going down thank you to the ANC although there are people who are still crying about poverty, but statistics show that poverty is decreasing” added Vavi.

 

When speaking to The Messenger Vavi agreed that May Day celebrations are meaningless to many. People failed to fill the stadium into capacity. “May Day will only have a true meaning once unemployment has been tackled, also if the division among the workers can come to an end, workers day celebrations will have a true meaning to many” he said. The rally was also attended by South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Numsa General-Secretary Irvin Jim, former NYDA President Andile Lungisa and ANC Regional Chairperson Chippa Ngcolomba. During his speech Motlanthe said it is important that there is unity and solidarity among workers. “The African National Congress says we must focus on job creation because the dignity of our people will only be restored when they are able to pick up a living on their own” he said.