This year’s national conference of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is widely seen as the next ‘arena of struggle†between right and left in South Africa’s governing alliance.
There was also likely to be ‘contestation†around the Growth and Development Summit in May, where the African National Congress will debate economic policy with business and labour, observers said this week.
The Cosatu conference will elect new office-bearers between September 15 and 18. Many unionists fear the ANC grouping closely linked with President Thabo Mbeki will campaign for the removal of Cosatu’s current leaders, viewing them as ‘ultra-leftists†out to undermine the ANC and its top brass.
Cosatu’s Vukani Mde said jostling for positions before any election was to be expected. He added: ‘If the ANC were to actively back candidates at Cosatu’s election in September, it would show a lack of respect.
‘We would expect them to behave as Cosatu did at the ANC’s conference last month — to keep the election at arm’s length. At the last Cosatu election in 2000, some ANC people backed candidates and they lost. I doubt if people would adopt a similar strategy again.”
The ANC’s recent conference is widely viewed to have ended in a stand-off between ideological strands.
‘Delegates voted for the status quo,†said one senior party man. ‘No office-bearer or national executive committee member was removed.â€
A leader pointed out that the 60 national executive committee (NEC) members were chosen from among 104 candidates, indicating greater ‘coherence and unity of purposeâ€. At the Mafikeng conference in 1997, the candidate list was twice as long.
In addition, the conference resolutions consolidated some left gains, including the raising of the qualifying age for child-support grants and a commitment to national health insurance.
Most new candidates of the left, notably mineworkers’ boss Gwede Mantashe, did not make the NEC. At the same time, the new national executive includes new perceived Mbeki loyalists, including ANC Youth League president Malusi Gigaba, Northern Cape MEC for Health Dipuo Peters, Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy Affairs Susan Shabangu, chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Naledi Pandor and Mpumalanga’s MEC for Safety and Security Thabang Makwetla. Peters and Makwetla were previously coopted members.
However, incumbent leftists — including senior communists Blade Nzimande, Jeremy Cronin and Phillip Dexter — retained their NEC seats, despite being targeted as ‘ultra-leftistsâ€.
ANC insiders said the left made a ‘1% gain†with the election of former Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa for the first time.
The man at the forefront of the attack on the so-called ‘ultra-leftâ€, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Housing Dumisani Makhaye, features low down on the list, at number 42, while another perceived Mbeki loyalist, Tony Yengeni, has slipped from 29th to 43rd position.
Left-leaning insiders complained that Mbeki had soured the unity built at the conference by again attacking the ‘left†in his closing address.
‘He singled out the left for circulating a lobby list,†said one. ‘Why did he have to do this? There were lots of lobby lists floating around.â€
A senior alliance figure voiced concern at the growth of ‘the politics of division†and ‘negative lobbying†in the alliance, aimed at stigmatising members on ideological grounds. ‘The pity is that the president has great diplomatic skills, which he chooses not to use.â€
Some senior members felt that efforts to marginalise the left would persist in the new year.
Briefing the media late last year, SACP general secretary Nzimande said a campaign against the ultra-left could surface ahead of the Cosatu meeting, as this was a ‘trendâ€.
Union observers believed there would be an attempt to coopt Cosatu, as had happened with the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco). Minister of Public Enterprises Jeff Radebe sits on Sanco’s NEC, while treasurer Shabangu, a former unionist, is widely seen as an Mbeki loyalist.
Sanco condemned Cosatu’s recent anti-privatisation strike, after supporting similar union action in 2001.
An alternative scenario is that Sanco will be promoted as a grassroots rival to labour. In his opening address at the conference, Mbeki called for closer ties between Sanco and the ANC, saying the civics movement should ‘be empowered to discharge its responsibilities as a component part of the progressive forces of our countryâ€.
Some ANC members were surprised that Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel topped the NEC poll, jumping from number seven and knocking former ANC secretary general Cyril Rama-phosa into second spot. Many believed the vote was a ‘pat on the back†because the economy and the rand had improved under Manuel’s tenure.
Said one ANC member: ‘An increasing number of delegates are now in government or business. They’ve started to understand the economy and budgets.â€
Another said Manuel’s popularity showed that the racial politics of certain Mbeki supporters — notably Makhaye — was not shared by the ANC grassroots.
The old …
The African National Congress’s national executive committee elected at the 50th National Conference
President: Thabo Mbeki
Deputy President: Jacob Zuma
National Chairperson: Mosioua Lekota
Secretary General: Kgalema Motlanthe
Deputy Secretary General: Thenjiwe Mtintso
Treasurer General: Mendi Msimang
1. Cyril Ramaphosa
2. Kader Asmal
3. Pallo Jordan
4. Mac Maharaj
5. Jay Naidoo
6. Tito Mboweni
7. Trevor Manuel
8. Abdullah Omar
9. Mohammed Valli Moosa
10. Ronnie Kasrils
11. Sydney Mufamadi
12. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
13. Derek Hanekom
14. Jeff Radebe
15. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
16. Blade Nzimande
17. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi
18. Frank Chikane
19. Peter Mokaba
20. Steve Tshwete
21. Mbhazima Shilowa
22. Joe Modise
23. Popo Molefe
24. Zola Skweyiya
25. Alec Erwin
26. Frene Ginwala
27. Sibusiso Bengu
28. Penuell Maduna
29. Tony Yengeni
30. Gill Marcus
31. Jeremy Cronin
32. Charles Nqakula
33. Joel Netshitenzhe
34. Brigitte Mabandla
35. Saki Macozoma
36. Sibusiso Ndebele
37. Manne Dipico
38. Ngoako Ramatlhodi
39. Aziz Pahad
40. Max Sisulu
41. Joe Nhlanhla
42. Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele
43. Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini
44. Alfred Nzo
45. Essop Pahad
46. Limpho Hani
47. Baleka Kgosietsile-Mbete
48. Dumisani Makhaye
49. Enoch Godongwana
50. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri
51. Amos Masondo
52. Smangaliso Mkhatshwa
53. Zweli Mkhize
54. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
55. Jessie Duarte
56. Phillip Dexter
57. Jabu Moleketi
58. Lindiwe Sisulu
59. Collins Chabane
60. Thoko Didiza
… and the new
The African National Congress’s national executive committee elected at the 51st National Conference
President: Thabo Mbeki
Deputy President: Jacob Zuma
National Chairperson: Mosioua Lekota
Secretary General: Kgalema Motlanthe
Deputy Secretary General: Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele
Treasurer General: Mendi Msimang
1. Trevor Manuel
2. Cyril Ramaphosa
3. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
4. Thoko Didiza
5. Penuell Maduna
6. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
7. Sydney Mufamadi
8. Kader Asmal
9. Zola Skweyiya
10. Pallo Jordan
11. Charles Nqakula
12. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
13. Lindiwe Sisulu
14. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi
15. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
16. Frene Ginwala
17. Ronnie Kasrils
18. Frank Chikane
19. Jeff Radebe
20. Alec Erwin
21. Aziz Pahad
22. Abdullah Omar
23. Smuts Ngonyama
24. Mohammed Valli Moosa
25. Blade Nzimande
26. Thenjiwe Mtintso
27. Brigitte Mabandla
28. Essop Pahad
29. Derek Hanekom
30. Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburri
31. Thandi Modise
32. Manne Dipico
33. Max Sisulu
34. Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini
35. Smangaliso Mkhatshwa
36. Joel Netshitenzhe
37. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
38. Membathisi Mdladlana
39. Malusi Gigaba
40. Ngoako Ramatlhodi
41. Saki Macozoma
42. Dumisani Makhaye
43. Tony Yengeni
44. Popo Molefe
45. Jeremy Cronin
46. Stella Sigcau
47. Jabu Moleketi
48. Baleka Mbete
49. Mathews Phosa
50. Ebrahim Ebrahim
51. Phillip Dexter
52. Amos Masondo
53. Thabang Makwetla
54. Enoch Godongwana
55. Zweli Mkhize
56. Naledi Pandor
57. Dipuo Peters
58. Jessie Duarte
59. Susan Shabangu
60. Collins Chabane
Related:
Left out in the cold 20 December 2002
Battle for the soul of the ANC 13 December 2002
Tough choices await the ANC 13 December 2002
Restore the dream of 1994 13 December 2002
Conspiracy theories are not the crux of the conference 16 December 2002