Sibusiso Nxumalo
DIFFERENCES on strategy and accusations of undemocratic practices in the South African Students’ Congress (Sasco) branch at the University of the Witwatersrand have led to a split in the organisation, the resignation of an executive committee member and dwindling support.
The split can be traced back to the violent protests that rocked Wits last year, when at least five executive council members resigned in apparent disagreement with the tactics adopted by the student organisation. But it is the recent resignation of the organisation’s assistant general secretary that has brought into focus dissatisfaction with the campaign among some of its membership and other students.
In an open letter of resignation addressed to Wits Sasco chair Makhukhu Mampuru, outgoing assistant general secretary Mark Weinberg accuses the executive council of taking decisions undemocratically and without consultation. Weinberg questions the modus operandi of members of the executive and questions how some of Sasco’s decisions are made.
“I was surprised when embarking on ‘operation litter’ was presented as an executive decision. We had not come to any such decision and I do not know where it came from,” Weinberg said in an interview with the Weekly Mail & Guardian. Weinberg said while he felt the issues raised by the student movement were legitimate, he did not agree with the tactics used.
In the letter, Weinberg also alleges that the issues were “found” in order to embark on mass action. He says the Sasco campaign was originally centred on Wits’ administration’s refusal to give decision-making powers to the transformation forum — a body of staff, students and workers geared to bring about real change on the campus. When the administration conceded on this issue, Sasco was left with an “issueless campaign” so issues to deadlock on were “found”, Weinberg says.
Sasco’s executive has been blamed by students for Sasco’s dwindling membership and lack of support among Wits students for its current campaign. Activists felt no effort was made to explain the issues of the campaign and that coercion was used to get support for last week’s protest.
“Because we have failed to mobilise students we have been pushed into a corner and have inevitably had to resort to more militant action,” said Weinberg. Wits students have alleged that some protesters in last week’s action were not from the university.
Disgruntled Sasco members claimed that most members did not agree with the organisation’s present direction. “There is a cabal that is running the organisation and undermining collective decision-making processes,” said one source.
Citing the close co-operation between Sasco and the “ultra-left” Students’ Socialist Action Committee (SSAC), sources said they feared the organisation had been infiltrated. Said one: “The question we ask is whether Sasco is still congress-aligned or belongs to Wosa (Workers’ Organisation for Socialist Action)”.
The organisation’s strategy over the recent SRC elections on the campus is another bone of contention. After Sasco took a branch position not to contest the elections, some members broke ranks and stood as individuals. Sasco’s executive now intends disciplining them for what Sasco chair Mampuru calls “conscious violation of organisational discipline”.
The conflict has drawn in prominent members of the ANC and SACP who endorsed the election campaigns of candidates now facing disciplinary action. ANC secretary general Cyril Ramaphosa, the Youth League’s Lulu Johnson and the SACP’s Jeremy Cronin endorsed the candidates.
Mampuru denied that disciplining those who stood for elections was intended to silence opposition. “They are being disciplined in terms of our code of conduct.”
However, he confirmed that the disciplinary committee was appointed by Sasco’s executive.
Sasco national executive spokes-man Stephanie Allais said the split at Wits was being investigated. “Sasco supports mass action and negotiations. As a principle we cannot condone any violent actions,” said Allais.
The National Education Co-ordination Committee also supports Wits’ students’ struggles to transform the university, but: “We cannot for a minute condone the intimidatory tactics employed at the protest at Wits. Had there been broader consultation with the university community there could have been greater pressure on the administration without need to resort to the unfortunate actions,” said NECC spokesman Sipho Cele.