ANC, alliance partners to plan way ahead at political council
The ANC and its alliance partners will hold the first political council since the election of President Cyril Ramaphosa as governing party president.
The ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP), Cosatu and the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) will meet on Monday.
On the agenda for the alliance political council is the state of the alliance, strengthening relations among the partners, working to strengthen each component and the state of the economy.
Cosatu and the SACP have called for the reconfiguration of the alliance.
Both the SACP and Cosatu had backed Ramaphosa in 2017’s ANC succession race and had called on former president Jacob Zuma to step down or be removed.
The alliance was at its weakest under Zuma’s leadership, and the SACP had resolved at its 14th congress in July 2017 that it would contest the elections.
In June, the SACP central committee meeting said its call for the reconfiguration of the alliance was not “narrowly” about the question of electoral positioning. “The new situation and new prospects, as well as persisting threats, on the political terrain, require a cohesive, united alliance, more than ever,” the party said at the time.
The alliance political council is expected to brief media this week following the meeting.
On Thursday Zuma’s son, Duduzane is expected to appear in the Randburg Magistrates Court to face culpable homicide charges.
In 2014, Phumzile Dube was killed when Duduzane’s Porsche crashed into the taxi in which she was travelling, while another passenger, Jeanette Mashaba, died in hospital a few weeks after the incident.
The National Prosecuting Authority in 2015 decided not to charge Zuma.
Duduzane Zuma is expected to hand himself over to police on Monday morning in relation to corruption charges. It is believed that this is linked to an alleged bribe offered to former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas.
Jonas claimed that the Guptas had offered him a R600m bribe and the position of finance minister in 2015. Duduzane was allegedly at that meeting.
Wage negotiations between power utility Eskom and unions — the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) — are expected to continue.
Eskom has tabled a new wage increase offer of 6.7% for 2018.
The NUM and Numsa rejected the power utility’s earlier 6.2% wage offer after consultations with members.
A special central bargaining forum meeting is expected to be convened to map a way forward on the wage offer.