Tampering with South Africa’s public holidays would amount to a betrayal of those who died for freedom, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Monday.
”We will oppose any proposal to abolish or move any of the national public holidays that commemorate dates of historic importance in our struggle.”
The number of holidays in South Africa does not differ much from those in most other countries, Cosatu said in a statement. Workers are also entitled these few days of relief from work.
Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi last week indicated the country might soon have multi-purpose public holidays. He said it might be necessary to consider certain dates to serve as holidays for different purposes for different segments of society.
The Cabinet recently approved the formation of a task team to review the public holiday calendar. Buthelezi said he had set up the team and it had started its work.
Cosatu said it would insist that the existing public holidays, including Sharpeville, Soweto and Workers’ days, be retained.
These dates and events should never be forgotten.
”To abolish or change these holidays to other dates in the interests of flexibility … would … betray those who gave their lives on those days to win the freedom we now enjoy,” Cosatu said. — Sapa