Pretoria - The Southern African Clothing and Textile Worker's Union (Sactwu) has welcomed the appointment of its General Secretary to the country's new Cabinet.
Ebrahim Patel was on Sunday appointed Minister of Economic Development, in the newly created ministry within President Jacob Zuma's Cabinet.
The new department has been established to focus on economic policy making. However, the implementation functions will remain with the Department of Trade and Industry.
"We know him as a hard worker, dedicated to the struggle of workers and the poor," said SACTWU Deputy General Secretary Andre Kriel on Monday.
Mr Patel is also the national labour convenor of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) which sees government coming together with organised business, organised labour and organised community groupings to discuss issues of social and economic policy.
The union wished Mr Patel well in his new appointment adding that it appreciated the work he had been doing over the past 24 years.
