/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] welcomes the long awaited resignation of President Jacob Zuma as State President of the Republic of South Africa.

As NEHAWU, we hope the decision taken by President Zuma to resign will accelerate the progress of undoing the plethora of challenges faced by our government, the movement and society at large. The current moment presents us with an opportunity to recoup and reposition our government to be able to prioritise service delivery.

Once again, we call on Cde Ramaphosa to rise to the occasion of leading the country out of desolation. Reuniting and refocusing the Alliance to march in unison towards the realisation of the National Democratic Revolution [NDR] should be on top of the list to-do by Cde Ramaphosa and his collective. As the Alliance and structures of the Mass Democratic Movement, we owe it to the masses of our people to dismantle high levels of poverty, unemployment and inequalities.

Everything considered and based on our own on-going engagement with our members, the union concluded in its National Executive Committee held at the end of October 2016 that the ANC should continue to enjoy support of the broader masses of our people and the decisiveness of the newly elected ANC NEC to recall Cde Zuma affirms that the centre of power is the ANC.

In our view, the decision to recall President Zuma once again shows that the current ANC NEC listens, brings hope and also confirms to South Africans that the ANC cares and is a home for all. In this regard, the union calls on the leadership of the ANC, Alliance partners and broader democratic movement to close ranks through going to their respective members to explain the reasons for the recall and unite in the face of an unprecedented offensive against our liberation movement and revolution.

We believe that the offensive unleashed against our movement has in part been embolden by factional battles raging predominantly within ANC and scandals of high level of corruption hence as part of closing ranks the ANC must unite along the newly elected leadership and implementing the 54th Conference resolutions in particular getting rid of corruption including providing strategic leadership in government.

The national union calls on all South Africans above the age of 18 to register to vote in the 2019 National General Elections on the 10th and 11th March 2018. As NEHAWU, we continue to have faith in the ANC and believe that only the ANC can bring betterment to the lives of all South Africans.

Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat