/ 26 August 2012

Mantashe: Counter-revolutionaries hijacked Marikana

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.

"Marikana was taken over and hijacked … and out of it came counter-revolutionaries to undermine our movement."

The question was how the tripartite alliance was going to deal with that, he said, speaking at a Young Communist League of South Africa public lecture held in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni.

Also present were Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini and SACP deputy chairn Thulas Nxesi.

Mantashe said he was secretary general of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in 1998 when the union expelled Joseph Mathunjwa because of ill discipline.

Mathunjwa is now president of the NUM splinter union, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

"I have been cautious about the Marikana tragedy, but this is the danger I saw come out of that sad incident."

He asked what the infighting within the alliance was about.

"Is it about the movement itself, is it a fight over resources or handing over the country to foreign agencies?"

Mantashe said there were some who thought they were "rightful heirs" to the ANC succession.

"The tripartite alliance is going to be around for many years to come." – Sapa