People have short memories and tend to forget that the democratic movement will always produce leaders, African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma told the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (Cosatu) congress in Midrand on Monday.
Attracting loud applause, he talked his way through the movement’s history, starting with the days in which Chief Albert Luthuli was the leader. ”People asked — what will happen when Luthuli goes? And indeed Luthuli left. Oliver Tambo emerged and led the ANC in the most difficult, challenging times.”
Zuma went on to say that ANC members then asked: ”What when Tambo goes? Tambo left, and Madiba came in,” he said to applause.
Then, he said, the question arose of who would lead the ANC when Madiba went.
”At the time the ANC Youth League’s leader Peter Mokaba said Thabo Mbeki would be the next president. The ANC Women’s League under Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said, yes, Thabo will be our next president.”
He then said: ”What after Madiba? Indeed, Thabo Mbeki became President …”
Leaving history there, Zuma said: ”People in this country indeed have short memories. I think they fail to understand the ANC and after a decade of the party having been unbanned, I don’t think they will ever understand the ANC.”
Boikie Mohlamme, a 72-year-old member of Performing Arts Workers’ Equity — a union affiliated to Cosatu — said he wouldn’t have a problem if Zuma became president.
”He is a true, true comrade. He belongs more to the people on the ground than the people up there … My belief is it’s good to be closer to the people on the ground, because when you fall you won’t get hurt,” Mohlamme said.
Leadership
The underlying principle of leadership must be unity, he said. ”The decision about the leadership must be guided by the interest of the federation as a whole, and not by individual interests. The underlying principle must be that of unity. Our choice of leadership, therefore, must reflect the pursuit of this unity.”
The hefty Cosatu secretariat report for 2006, made available at the congress, notes on the topic of leadership: ”We must fight the new demon where leaders are more at ease expressing their disagreements in the media than in debates with one another or in constitutional structures.
”The Mail & Guardian in particular is neither a Cosatu publication nor a left-wing paper to use in an internal debate about our disagreements. Certainly it should never be used for leadership contests.”
Zuma also called for unity over the ANC’s economic policies and for the tripartite alliance of Cosatu, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC to remain intact.
Delegates at the Cosatu conference joyously sang one of Zuma’s favourite songs: ”Bring back my machine gun, stop delaying me.”
In contrast to Cosatu president Willie Madisha’s message earlier — which criticised the propaganda that the economy was creating jobs — Zuma said: ”Our [the ANC’s government’s] well-thought-out economic policies are very clear on the direction of our economy. I must emphasise that no individual in the ANC develops his or her own policies on any issue of national importance.
”These policies are crafted, adopted and implemented collectively by the movement as a whole, in line with our history and traditions.”
Also in a stance at variance with Madisha, Zuma said: ”Our alliance is unique, not only in South Africa, but [also] in the world. The rationale for this historical relationship is not a theoretical issue. It is a very practical issue of interests and objectives. Therefore, this congress cannot arrive at a different conclusion about the future of the alliance.”
Madisha had suggested that the proposal of the SACP going for state power — separately or as lead party in the ANC, Cosatu and SACP alliance — should be considered by congress delegates.
‘Deliver a united front’
Madisha earlier on Monday praised his allegedly estranged general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi as ”a very good leader”.
To the applause of thousands of unionists at the Cosatu congress, Madisha said: ”Comrade Vavi, rest assured that as a democratically elected leader, you enjoy my unreserved and unwavering support and I therefore see no reason why I cannot work with you.
”As comrade Vavi has said, it is incorrect for the leaders of our federation to be making anonymous comments to the media on the positions of the structures.
”It is exactly this practice that fuels the suspicions among us and continues to create the impression that this federation is divided.”
Madisha said the fallout from the removal of Zuma from his position as deputy president of the country continues to ”hurt and destroy the unity of the entire congress movement as well as our country”.
He said the union federation has also been affected, with him and Vavi being classified as Mbeki and Zuma supporters respectively and reports that the Cosatu leadership would be split along these lines.
He called for unity in the ANC-led alliance. ”As president of the federation, I wish to make a special request and appeal to both the president of the ANC and the secretary general of the SACP to lead this process and deliver to the movement a united front.
”They cannot continue to be spectators … they will have to come on board.”
Madisha was cheered throughout his speech.
Mbeki’s regards
Zuma also delivered Mbeki’s regards to the congress. Following a roaring welcome for Zuma, the ruling party’s number two said the president was out of the country — he had been in Cuba and was on his way to the United Nations.
Had the president not been away, he would have been in South Africa ”to address you”, said Zuma.
Madisha also reminded Cosatu delegates that the union federation had not only agreed to support ”Comrade Zuma” but also committed itself to establish a fund and to encourage affiliates and workers to contribute to his legal fees. Zuma is facing a trial for corruption.
”We resolved to do so as a result of our belief, which we still hold that he was treated unfairly by the relevant state institutions,” said Madisha.
”Therefore, one of the key questions we must ask ourselves is how far are we with the implementation hereof. You will also recall that we repeatedly called for him to be charged if he had a case to answer. Indeed, he has now been charged, but once more the delay in giving him a fair and speedy trial must be vigorously challenged. We must reiterate our position that justice delayed is justice denied.”
Paid up
All Cosatu’s member unions’ fees are paid up and their delegates may vote at the federation’s national congress. ”All 21 Cosatu unions are in good standing,” Cosatu deputy general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said on Monday.
The unions have been granted a total of 2 466 voting delegates based on their paid-up membership. This means all delegates may vote for the national office bearers. At the last Cosatu congress, in 2003, delegates from four unions could not vote.
At least 2 071 delegates turned up for the congress, being held at Gallagher Estate until Thursday. — I-Net Bridge, Sapa