The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Monday it supported statements by South African Communist Party (SACP) leader Blade Nzimande after President Thabo Mbeki accused him of ”extraordinary arrogance”.
Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said the union federation ”agrees with every word that SACP general secretary, Blade Nzimande, made in excellent speeches at the 2006 congresses of Cosatu and Sadtu [South African Democratic Teachers’ Union].
”His views were totally in line with the policies expressed in the resolutions passed by 2 000 delegates representing 1,8-million workers at Cosatu’s 9th National Congress in September 2006.”
In his political overview to an ANC national executive committee meeting at the weekend, Mbeki said: ”It is this which has led him to ‘openly despise’ the ANC,” referring to a speech Nzimande made at Cosatu’s congress.
”Nzimande clearly did not respect the spirit and intent of the approach towards fraternal organisation as laid down in the SACP constitution,” Mbeki told the meeting.
Nzimande had said: ”It is a shame that much as South Africa was liberated by a movement whose strategy and tactics was informed by this philosophical outlook, only capitalist ideology is taught in our schools.”
Craven further lashed out at ”faceless sources” that had leaked information from the Cosatu congress.
This, he said, caused ”yet another strain” on the tripartite alliance, between the ruling African National Congress, the SACP and itself.
Cosatu also said it condemned the ”personalisation of arguments”. – Sapa