Grassroots membership of the African National Congress Youth League last week forced its leadership to withdraw comments that the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) general strike against privatisation was an act of insubordination aimed at overthrowing the government.
At its 22nd congress in Johannesburg last weekend, the league, through its secretary general’s organisational report, condemned Cosatu’s anti-privatisation strike.
“We correctly stated that a general strike, by definition, is a political instrument aimed at stalling the functioning of a democratic state and thereby rendering it incapable to govern in the eyes of the masses,” the report said.
But the Mail & Guardian understands that the report was challenged from the floor in the plenary by dissatisfied youth. The youth argued that the strike was genuine and necessary, and that Cosatu had a right to act in the interest of its members, who felt there could be job losses stemming from privatisation.
Others pointed out that, even as a member of the Tripartite Alliance, Cosatu reserved the right to hold different views from the ANC and act on those beliefs. The members recommended that the leadership withdraw “the anti-working class” language.
This dispute went to the heart of the criticism that has been directed at the past league leadership for attacking anyone it considers ultra-left. But the candidates deemed to be from the left lost badly in the fight for the top five positions, and did not even make it as additional members of the league’s national executive committee.
They were deputy president contestant Tshilidzi Ratshitanga, secretary general contestant Sabelo Nkuhlu and treasurer nominee Nikiwe Num, who all lost because of their association with the Young Communist League (YCL), which was accused of trying to take over the ANC Youth League.
A league member said that, in the same way that former South African Students Congress members were demonised and then defeated at the league congress in 2001, the YCL had been portrayed as a powermonger.
“A false rumour was spread that the YCL wanted to take over and there was therefore a need to close ranks. The strategy worked,” he said.