MONDAY, 1 May, marked Worker's Day in Mzansi.
It saw members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions Cosatu and ANC coming out in their numbers to commemorate the day and remember those who died in one of the most horrific accidents in the country's history.
On 1 May 2003, a bus carrying workers from Sol Plaatje Municipality in Kimberley – affiliated to Cosatu – plunged into the Sol Plaatje Dam near Bethlehem on the way to a rally in QwaQwa, Free State.
In honour of the 51 workers who died on that fateful day, Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi and President Cyril Ramaphosa handed over blankets to their families during a rally at the Bethlehem Showgrounds in Free State.
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In addition to a Cosatu blanket, President Ramaphosa handed over an ANC blanket to farm owner Mr Slabberts, who risked his life to save some of the workers by retrieving them from the full-to-capacity Sol Plaatje Dam.
Both Ramaphosa and Losi visited the memorial site where the victims were certified dead.
"It was very touching to visit the memorial site, which was an excellent service plan by Cosatu president," said Ramaphosa.
Delivering key note address at the showgrounds, Losi said those departed workers would never be forgotten.
Losi also said during Covid-19 pandemic, nurses and doctors were forced to risk their lives to treat affected victims. She thanked them, hailing them as unsung heroes.
Ramaphosa, who unlike in 2022 was able to give a speech, said he was happy the ANC had strengthened its relationship with its alliance partners ahead of the national elections in 2024.
President was booed off stage in 2022 during a May Day celebration in Rustenburg, North West, forcing him to abandon his speech.
