Cosatu came to the SA Communist Party’s 11th Congress in a fighting mood on Wednesday, while the African National Congress sought to subdue tensions in the tripartite alliance.
Reiterating plans by the Congress of SA Trade Unions to stage an anti-privatisation strike in October, general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said: ”The future does not belong to cowards who are afraid to speak out.”
ANC national chairman Mosiuoa Lekota chose to make little of public tension between his party and the SACP and Cosatu.
”The alliance has always acknowledged that we can never eliminate contradictions,” said Lekota, who is also Minister of Defence.
”The art of managing contradictions is what has carried this alliance to where it is today.”
SACP deputy secretary general Jeremy Cronin was last week sharply criticised by the ANC for comparing the ruling party to Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF.
Another source of friction was SACP and Cosatu opposition to the government’s privatisation programme. They have also voiced reservations about aspects of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad).
President Thabo Mbeki was initially scheduled to address the congress on behalf of the ANC but he cancelled his participation at the last minute, citing cabinet obligations.
Speculation was rife at the meeting that Mbeki’s speech could bring differences between the two camps to a head.
Vavi said on Wednesday unemployment in South Africa had turned into a national crisis, with millions of people having to resort to casual labour.
Cosatu could opt to be diplomatic and refrain from raising such issues for public debate, he said. Instead the union’s leadership had decided to take a strong stand.
”Taking into account our (workers) plight. If you don’t want to, we will force you to consider it.”
Cosatu’s campaign on behalf of the working class would be aimed against capitalists because they were the ones cashing in on matters such as spiralling food prices.
”The campaign also targets government because it is they who are listening to capital and then privatise,” Vavi said.
He called on the SACP to support Cosatu’s planned strike on October 1 and 2 saying: ”To us the SACP is synonymous with only the best and only the bravest.”
Lekota who spoke after Vavi did not comment on Cosatu’s strike plans. Instead he spoke at length about Nepad’s objective of diminishing poverty throughout Africa.
The ideal of a unified Africa was one of the alliance’s aims that had not yet been realised, he said.
”We are strengthened by the fact that we have the SACP as an ally.”
He said one of the main challenges facing the government was putting plans and policies into action.
SACP chairman Charles Nqakula steered clear of controversial issues in his opening speech and called on members to contribute to concrete change.
”Our task is not only to interpret the world but to change it. That goes for us all,” he said.
Lekota urged members of the alliance to strengthen one another and to make a concerted effort to promote unity.
”We must continue to debate among ourselves any differences that may exist recognising the reality that there can be no matter that becomes so contentious that it results in the division of the
alliance,” Lekota said. – Sapa