WATCH | Mapaila slams GNU as ‘betrayal of our people’ at Cosatu strike

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Cape Town – Solly Mapaila, the general secretary of the South African Communist Party, on Monday criticised the Government of National Unity (GNU), calling it a betrayal that places the country back under control of the “Boers” after centuries of anti-colonial struggle.

Speaking during a Cosatu strike, he accused the GNU of ignoring worker interests and prioritising capital over national needs.

“Since the last 350 years of colonialism in this country we have been fighting to take back our land. Now with this government of national unity this is the highest form of betrayal of our people,” Times Live quoted Mapaila as saying.

He was addressing Cosatu members outside the Johannesburg Stock Exchange offices on Monday. Thry were part of a nationwide strike.

Cosatu leaders also voice concerns about the GNU’s impact on the ANC’s integrity and vow to protect the party from decay amidst economic hardships and inequality protests.

The union called on the government to address the crisis and prevent retrenchments, EWN reported.

“We need them to stop retrenchments, we need them to cushion workers in terms of the high rate of local municipality utilities for example the electricity and water hikes and the services they [workers]are paying are huge.

Even some of the employers are trying to cushion workers but all this interest rate is taking back what those employers have put into the pockets of workers,” the report quoted COSATU Gauteng Chairperson Amos Monyela as saying.

COSATU warned that the high cost of living, including water and electricity hikes, was undoing gains made through wage negotiations.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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