The tripartite alliance in Gauteng has agreed that its members should not say things about each other ”that cannot withstand the test of time”.
Gauteng African National Congress secretary David Makhura was addressing a press conference on Monday following the alliance’s provincial ”summit”.
”We don’t want situations where organisations in the alliance are involved in destabilising one another,” he said.
Makhura added that the partners have agreed that there are things they should not say about one another ”unless we are sure that these things we say about one another can withstand the test of time”.
The summit took place shortly after controversial statements by the leaders of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
Both are partners with the ANC in the alliance, which also includes the South African National Civic Organisation, as a fourth leg.
Cosatu’s provincial chairperson Phutas Tseki said Cosatu leader Zwelinzima Vavi’s statement about the country heading for dictatorship was in the context of Cosatu saying South Africa’s democracy has to be defended to avoid heading towards a dictatorship.
SACP provincial secretary Vishwas Satgar said the discussion document containing controversial statements attributed to the SACP was meant for use behind closed doors.
The alliance’s summit further called for a provincial transport summit in October to address transport ”challenges”.
A joint statement said the alliance will encourage the provincial government to meet Cosatu on the Gautrain project. The union federation has been outspoken in its opposition to the project.
”The summit agreed that in October we should launch a major campaign for an integrated public-transport system for our province,” read the statement.
The four alliance partners further agreed to more work on the ground towards strengthening the alliance in Gauteng.
On the Khutsong saga, which has seen the SACP take a leading role in community efforts against the Merafong municipality being incorporated into North West from Gauteng, Satgar said the issue has reached a new phase.
”We are not abandoning the struggle … We shall encourage the community, if they have the resources, to seek recourse in the Constitutional Court.”
The SACP called for a development summit to address development and resources issues that are at the heart of the Khutsong crisis. — Sapa