COSATU mulls over a Government of National Unity

Trade union federation, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), says it will meet with the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the coming days.

PHOTO: COSATU logo

This comes as political parties discuss a call for a Government of National Unity (GNU).

Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that the ANC had decided on a government of national unity as the best option to move the country forward after the general elections. The ANC failed to win a governing majority, necessitating the formation of a government with other parties. 

Several political parties have rejected the plan, including the SACP.

Cosatu says it wants to meet with the alliance before making a decision. The federation’s spokesperson, Mathew Parks, said they are also hoping to understand the policy parameters within a government of national unity.

"We just want to understand what the threshold is, what the requirements are for political parties to enter the GNU, and whether the GNU extends from cabinet to parliament. I think what is more critical for us is also to ensure that every party entering cabinet agrees to respect the constitution's rule of law, agrees to support the campaign against crime and corruption and the campaign for the state of society.

Meanwhile, hopes flared up on Saturday night that the ANC & DA could maybe find a way to work together after the negation teams of the two parties met quietly in Johannesburg. That is according to the Sunday newspaper, Rapport. A source told the weekend newspaper that the talks went well, and that a follow-up meeting has apparently been planned

 

Done by: Mitchum George