President Thabo Mbeki on Friday dismissed suggestions the ANC and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) were at loggerheads.
Writing in the African National Congress’ (ANC) online publication, ANC Today, he said it had become clear during the trade union federation’s national congress this week that some people were interested in seeing the ANC and Cosatu ”fighting against each other as opponents, or even enemies”.
They lost no opportunity to invent areas of tension and conflict between the two organisations, with no respect for the truth, he said.
”For instance, as part of this offensive to divide the alliance, they presented some resolutions submitted by one or more affiliates of Cosatu as representing Cosatu positions.
”This related in particular to resolutions affecting the functioning of the ANC. Accordingly, when these resolutions were not accepted as the policy of the federation, after open debate by the delegates speaking from the floor, deliberately misleading newspaper headlines were written, such as ‘ANC forces Cosatu to back down”’.
Those who wrote such headlines knew very well that the resolutions considered at the congress originated from the affiliates. They appeared on the agenda of the congress as draft resolutions to be decided upon by the congress.
”It is only after they have been adopted by the congress that they become Cosatu resolutions,” Mbeki said.
”The alliance between the ANC and Cosatu is neither new nor imposed on their respective members and our country because of some special resolution adopted by some group of people, for ideological or other reasons.
”It is a natural outcome of the evolution of our society and an expression of the united response of the oppressed to that oppression.”
The organic links between the two organisations arose not from conference resolutions, but from the historic evolution of society and struggle.
The task of liberating the masses from a racially based socio-economic system had not fully been achieved.
Thus, the objective socio-economic situation that brought the ANC and the progressive trade union movement together over many decades had not disappeared, he said.
”This is what makes it necessary that the ANC and Cosatu should continue to work together as allies.
”The 8th National Congress of Cosatu defeated the campaign to drive wedges between the ANC and Cosatu, and thus weaken the continuing struggle for the realisation of the goals of the national democratic revolution.
”It reaffirmed that our alliance has a continuing responsibility to lead our country as it pursues a people’s contract to push back the frontiers of poverty. It took decisions pointing the way forward as we work to achieve this objective.
”Its decisions will strengthen the affiliated unions and the federation, our alliance, and our capacity to meet the aspirations of the masses of our people,” Mbeki said. – Sapa