/ 26 October 2007

Cosatu says there’s no ANC wish list

The Congress of South African Trade Unions has not compiled a ”wish list” of candidates for the national executive committee (NEC) of the African National Congress, it said on Friday.

This follows the Mail and Guardian publishing a list on Friday that it said named the 57 people Cosatu wanted as ANC leaders.

Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said only its central committee had issued a resolution in September identifying and recommending candidates for the top six positions of the ANC NEC.

This resolution recommended ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma as president, ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe as deputy president and Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, or another woman meeting the set criteria, or Minister of Sports and Recreation Makhenkesi Stofile, as national chairperson.

It also called on South African Communist Party chairperson Gwede Mantashe to become secretary general and National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete to become his deputy.

Former Mpumulanga premier and poet Matthews Phosa was recommended as treasurer general.

Craven said Cosatu’s central committee had mandated the Central Executive Committee (CEC) to draw up and recommend a list of additional ANC NEC members.

It had also mandated that together with alliance partners, they should manage problems that might arise as a consequence of the resolution on the leadership question in the ANC.

Craven said the next CEC meeting in November would have the authority to decide whether to publish a further list of nominations and, if so, who should be on that list.

”In the meantime no such list exists”.

The M&G said the list showed that Cosatu’s ”scorn” for President Thabo Mbeki and his allies remained firm.

”The list is jam-packed with Mbeki detractors or those who have had run-ins with him in the past few years,” said the M&G.

These apparently included axed spy boss Billy Masetlha, former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni, former Cape Town mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo and former deputy arts and culture minister Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. – Sapa