The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) on Monday “noted with disgust” what they termed a “media campaign” on divisions between the organisations.
“Reliant on anonymous sources, some allegedly coming from our organisations, this campaign has also sought to impose a fictitious succession battle on both organisations,” they said in a joint statement.
They charged that the campaign sought to sow division and mistrust, and to pit the two organisations against each other.
In their statement, SACP spokesperson Malesela Maleka and Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven described the “tactics” as “reminiscent of failed apartheid days when there was a concerted effort to isolate communists”.
“We warn the media not to be prone to abuse by people both inside and outside our movement in their endeavours to pursue their narrow class and political interests,” they said.
The SACP and Cosatu were committed to building their unity and politically strengthening each other.
“The SACP and Cosatu reject with the contempt it deserves the peddling that we have seen over the past few weeks, and we will work tirelessly to defeat this agenda to weaken working-class unity.”
Apparent divisions
Recent media reports have concerned apparent divisions in Cosatu caused by the succession battle around SACP secretary general Blade Nzimande.
Nzimande reportedly faced a backlash for being “uncritical” of the Presidency over the issue of President Jacob Zuma’s relationship with the Gupta family, and was under pressure to relinquish his position in the SACP.
Cosatu and the SACP will elect new leaders next year, just months before the ANC’s national elective conference.
The Nzimande issue has reportedly divided Cosatu’s largest affiliates, the National Union of Mineworkers, the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union and the National Education and Health Allied Workers’ Union.
Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi has in the past called for Nzimande to lead the SACP full-time and ditch his ministerial post.
The latest disagreement reportedly centres on how this call was made, with some Cosatu affiliates believing it should have been made internally instead of as a “public show”.
According to a Sunday Independent report citing “sources”, the disagreements were a “manifestation of a raging succession battle in Cosatu”.
Cosatu will elect a new general secretary next year. Vavi announced in 2009 that he would not stand for re-election. — Sapa