Why has the ANC repeatedly elected former mine union bosses as its secretary general? An important reason, analysts say, is the historically close bond between the influential National Union of Mineworkers and the ANC and a shared political outlook reaching back to the Eighties.
At the Polokwane conference this week former NUM general secretary Gwede Mantashe was elected as ANC secretary general, replacing another former NUM secretary, Kgalema Motlanthe, who moved into the politically strategic post of ANC deputy president.
Although originally from a Black Consciousness background, the NUM’s first general secretary, Cyril Ramaphosa, became the ANC’s first post-exile secretary general at the party’s 1991 Durban conference.
Asked to account for the pattern this week, current NUM general secretary Frans Baleni said the union typically produced leaders of a high calibre who were ‘humble, accessible and incorruptibleâ€.
But he also emphasised that the NUM was consistently supportive of the ANC, rather than ‘a politically mixed bag†like the metal union, Numsa.
During the Eighties the ‘workerist†Numsa clashed repeatedly with the ‘populist†NUM over whether the union movement’s primary focus should be to advance worker interests and socialism or to support the multiclass ANC and the broad anti-apartheid movement.
Baleni pointed out that the NUM was the first Cosatu affiliate to adopt the ANC’s Freedom Charter and to elect Nelson Mandela as an honorary union president.
In the post-exile period it took a decision to build the ANC and its then-close ally, the South African Communist Party, by hiring former exiles and Robben Islanders. Before the 1994 election, it deployed unionists to canvass for the ANC, particularly in the rural Eastern Cape.
Emphasising the close historical links between the NUM and the SACP, Baleni said that both Motlanthe and Mantashe were long-standing communist leaders. The latter is the current SACP chairperson.
South African Labour Bulletin editor Kally Forrest, a labour historian who is writing a history of Numsa, said the NUM consistently took a ‘populist†stance in union debates, arguing for labour to forge broad anti-apartheid alliances with civic and student bodies, as well as organisations such as the Black Sash and even business.
An official of the union education arm Ditsela and former NUM official, Gino Govender, said the NUM had since its foundation, been interested in the South African body politic.
Mantashe helped draft the union’s 10-year plan which — in pursuit of the 1987 strike slogan ‘mineworkers take control†— called for ANC, SACP and Sanco branches to be established on every mine.
Govender also pointed out that in the first all-in local elections, in 1985, NUM leaders were elected mayors in mining areas such as Welkom, Cullinan and Springbok.
Floor crossing axed
The ANC has decided to scrap floor-crossing legislation.
The position was arrived at on Wednesday evening at the Polokwane conference after the party resolved long-standing differences about it. At the policy conference in June the party resolved to keep the controversial practice in place after it could not agree on a common policy.
The ANC has been a beneficiary of the floor-crossing legislation, while the practice has decimated opposition parties such as the Inkatha Freedom Party.
The DA also bled, with its five senior black members deserting it and badly undermining its efforts to present a more representative face.
The irony is that it was the then-Democratic Party and the New National Party that agitated for its implementation to enable their merger.
The argument in favour of its retention in the past was that there are often political developments that might make members of a party want to leave. Floor crossing enabled them to so do without losing an income.
However, at Polokwane there was a strong sentiment that the practice allowed people to come into the party without being familiar with its policies; that people crossed the floor for opportunistic reasons that had nothing to do with principles; that most people who crossed over did not take any voters along; and that the ANC should win over people to its ranks without using floor-crossing. — Rapule Tabane
Scorpions to be reined in
The ANC has decided to rein in the Scorpions by not only deciding to incorporate them into the South African Police Service (SAPS), but also instructing the police to keep a tight watch over them.
The Scorpions have been involved in some high-profile cases, including that of former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni. But the one that landed them in most trouble was their investigation of Jacob Zuma, now ANC president.
Since then the knives have been out for the Scorpions from Zuma supporters, who believe the Scorpions were being used as a political tool against him by unnamed powerful people in government.
They were also accused of not being accountable to anyone and of singling out senior ANC people. Former director general of the National Intelligence Agency Billy Masetlha warned that the existence of the Scorpions unit in its current form — outside the SAPS — was a threat to national security and could lead to the country being infiltrated by foreign intelligence operatives.
At the policy conference in June, the ANC recommended that they be incorporated into the police.
On Thursday, at the peace and stability commission, the party agreed almost unanimously, to this. According to delegates who attended the commission, it was agreed that the justice ministry should recommend where the prosecuting arm of the National Prosecuting Authority should fall.
The commission also recommended that the police should closely monitor the NPA to make sure it does not release information about suspects to the media before they are actually charged. — Rapule Tabane
For thepoor
Linking social grants with their economic use has been punted at the ANC commission on social transformation.
Vusi Madonsela, director-general of the department of social development and a member of the commission, said people should not become dependent on social grants. Skills development training through the government’s extended public works programme, using ‘able-bodied single mothers†as an example, should be a priority. Extending the child support grant to cover children as old as 18 appears inevitable, but the resolution, still seeking adoption at plenary sessions, will ask for a ‘gradual†increase in age, which Madonsela said would ‘depend on the resources availableâ€.
According to Madonsela, the issue of a basic income grant did not warrant inclusion in final resolutions. The ANC will also seek to expand the number of no-fee schools in the country.
Other issues included land distribution. A review of the ‘willing-seller, willing-buyer principle†and the possible discarding of the market-driven land reform programme may also be booted out of current government policy. Also to be presented at plenary sessions is the transformation of the forest sector, youth development relating to the water, forestry and sanitation sector, a tourism levy should benefit the heritage sector and that local government be compelled to provide funding for arts and culture.
Appropriate legislation to prevent the mushrooming of informal settlements is another proposal the new ANC order faces. — Niren Tolsi
Wealthy chided
In its strategy and tactics document, the ANC has blasted its wealthy members for flaunting their wealth in front of members who are less well off.
While expensive German cars, shiny 4x4s and female delegates sporting Louis Vuitton and Gucci handbags separated the haves from the have-nots at Polokwane, the ANC has made it clear that the monied classes will not dominate its policy.
But, being the broad church that it is, the ANC was careful not to alienate the wealthy too much. In the document, the ANC called for restraint when it comes to displays of wealth, but said this should not keep members from being ambitious and wanting to pursue financial gains, ANC policy guru Joel Netshitenzhe told journalists. The party was discouraging ‘greed and conspicuous consumptionâ€, but wanted to continue to encourage ‘individual initiative, drive and entrepeneurshipâ€.
The ANC also emphasised national identity. Recognising the diversity of the people of South Africa, the ANC government will seek to work with all sectors of society to promote a common national identity. The media and intelligentsia of society must be encouraged, the ANC believes, to appreciate the role they can play in promoting human solidarity and a caring society. — Mandy Rossouw