Trade federation meets Ramaphosa
• Union federation’s support for deputy president at elective conference is ‘no blank cheque’
Cosatu has sent a committee of its top leaders to meet Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to stipulate the conditions for the federation’s support for his presidential ambitions.
Cosatu’s top leaders will meet Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to stipulate the conditions of the federation’s support for his presidential bid.
Although the federation was the first organisation to back Ramaphosa for the position of ANC president ahead of the party’s elective conference in December, its biggest affiliate told Business Day that the former National Union of Mineworkers leader would not be handed a “blank cheque”.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) spelt out its lack of faith in the ANC after its national executive committee meeting on Thursday, saying that the party was no longer capable of uniting and spearheading “the struggles of the broader masses of our people”.
Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha said the leaders had been delegated to formally inform Ramaphosa of its support for him and what workers expected from his presidency, should he win at the hotly contested conference.
Cosatu spokesman Sizwe Pamla confirmed the plans for the meeting.
Nehawu had also discredited recent talks between leaders of the tripartite alliance at its political council, saying it would encourage Cosatu to reject the meeting’s outcomes.
Saphetha said discussions held by the council that included ANC, South African Communist Party (SACP) and Cosatu leaders were not genuine. They failed to tackle issues related to the unity of the alliance and to come up with solutions to the country’s economic woes. “We will tell Cosatu not to take the outcomes seriously…. If the ANC is not serious about convening the alliance; the SACP, Cosatu and South African National Civic Organisation must do that.”
ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said the alliance political council meeting was “very important”. All partners recommitted to building unity and agreed they would meet regularly to ensure “issues do not pile up”, he said.
Business Day understands Nehawu was behind a push from some affiliates in Cosatu for the federation to cut all ties with the ANC and throw all its efforts into the formulation of a popular left front with the SACP.
Saphetha said that Nehawu would consider the options were the SACP to choose that route. The union would still support the ANC in 2019 as that was a congress decision, he said.
The outcome of the ANC’s elective conference would, however, influence the direction the union would take. “We will not support an ANC led by looters, criminals and the ANC that will remain permanently factionalised,” Saphetha said.
PARTY IS NO LONGER CAPABLE OF UNITING AND SPEARHEADING ‘THE STRUGGLES OF THE BROADER MASSES
WE WILL NOT SUPPORT AN ANC LED BY LOOTERS, AND … THAT WILL REMAIN … FACTIONALISED