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The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union in the Western Cape (SADTU Western Cape) wishes the African National Congress a successful 9th Provincial Conference. The conference is scheduled for 23 to 25 June 2023.

This conference takes place after more than six years since the last conference was held at the University of the Western Cape.

We congratulate the IPC for delivering on its mandate of renewing and rebuilding the structures of the organisation and for finally delivering an elective conference as mandated by the NEC.

This conference must be viewed as an opportunity to rebuild, strengthen, and unite the ANC in the province. We hope that delegates to the conference will not only elect a leadership that is up to the task, but also ensure that this provincial conference produces concrete resolutions as to how the ANC can once again regain political control of the province.

Past conferences were bedevilled by the influence of money and have seen the elected leadership being disbanded soon after the conference, or midway through their term of office. We urge the delegates to the conference to put the interests of the people of this province above their own interests.

This conference takes place on the eve of the 2024 general elections, and this process offers the ANC in the province an opportunity to challenge the Democratic Alliance which has in all honesty mismanaged the province in the absence of a visible and aggressive opposition party.

The task of the elected leadership will be made even harder by the unimaginable austerity measures by the government over the last couple of years which have been characterised by the freezing of salaries in the public service as well as low salaries in the general working class.

As a union we pledge our unwavering support in renewing and rebuilding the organisation and urge it to be more biased to the poor and marginalised majority of the people of South Africa, and the province in particular. Most importantly, we wish all delegates the best in forging unity towards a stronger, better, and resilient ANC in this province, which will not only strive for unity of the ANC but build a strong solidarity with the working class in improving the working conditions in all sectors.

Issued by SADTU Western Cape