Mabuyane wins backing from Cosatu

Boost for ANC provincial chair bid

OSCAR Mabuyane’s chances of contesting as ANC provincial chairman next month received a major boost this week when Cosatu gave him their support.

The labour federation announced it would go all out and lobby unionists who are active ANC members to endorse his candidacy at branch meetings.

The decision to field Mabuyane, who currently serves as ANC provincial secretary, was taken at a Cosatu provincial political commission meeting held at the Popcru offices in Zwelitsha on Thursday.

The meeting involved all affiliates of the federation, including Cosatu’s biggest union, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), and the National Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu).

Cosatu provincial secretary Xolani Malamlela said the meeting analysed the current state of province – both politically and socio-economically – and agreed that the provincial alliance, although relatively functioning, had no joint common programme of action to deal with challenges.

He was referring to the longstanding alliance between Cosatu, the ANC and SACP, which required the ANC as the leader of the alliance to consult its partners when it decided to effect changes or deploy anyone to strategic positions in municipalities and state institutions.

The ANC had a major fallout with unions which did not see eye to eye with cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa and former Cogta head Stanley Khanyile over their handling of governance issues.

Instead of dealing with the challenges besetting Cogta at the time, premier Phumulo Masualle swapped Khanyile with the then head of social development Bea Hackula.

Malamlela said the federation spoke with one voice, saying “there is no sufficient consultation on governance matters with some having negative impact on our members.

“Even when we seek political intervention as Cosatu on matters affecting our members through the ANC-led alliance, those deployed in government refuse to implement the alliance decisions,” he said.

He said based on these issues, Cosatu Eastern Cape felt strongly that, “we need to have change in the ANC provincial leadership and that change should be in line with our Cosatu national political posture which means whatever line-up we support, must be the one that supports comrade Cyril Ramaphosa to become ANC president in the ANC December 2017 national conference.

“That is why we support and lobby for comrade Oscar Mabuyane to be the provincial chairman of the ANC,” Malamlela said.

The federation made the announcement despite both Masualle and Mabuyane having yet to publicly declare who they would support at the ANC’s elective conference in December.

Malamlela said Cosatu was not declaring Masualle unfit to lead, but that he was now experienced enough to lead at ANC national level.

Cosatu is also expected to convene member meetings “to be addressed by both Ramaphosa and Mabuyane”. — zineg@dispatch.co.za