Cosatu pressures ANC

PRESSURE is mounting on the ANC from its alliance partners to act decisively following its dismal performance at the local government polls, with Cosatu now saying that it is open to discussions on an early elective conference for the party.

In a frank assessment of the state of the ANC, members of Cosatu’s central executive committee said this week that the ruling party could no longer claim to act as a unitary and coherent organisation.

While the ANC’s other alliance partner, the SACP, is yet to pronounce on the matter, senior leaders have told Independent Media that the movement would have to guard against calling an early conference that further instilled factionalism.

Yesterday Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said that the central executive committee was not “violently opposed” to the early election calls, but it would continue to listen to reasons being put forward by those making the demands.

“We have to consider the fact that the last ANC organisational report told us that the ANC is riddled with factionalism, gate-keeping and slate politics at all levels.

“The biggest challenge for the ANC is to clean and rid itself of opportunists, looters, criminals, flatterers, patrons, factionalists and hangers-on that have infiltrated, captured and ultimately weakened it,” he said.

While Cosatu had held back on making declarations on the ANC’s succession race, the central executive did agree that workers could not be neutral in the matter.

It was agreed that a special central executive meeting would be held next month as the matter was urgent.

The meeting would guide Cosatu in how it would engage with the ANC and the SACP.