Bad apples?

A leaked document from the summit found that all members are facing challenges, both internally and in working together, and aren’t confronting them. “All the components of the alliance are weak, differing in degrees and extent of their crisis. Co-ordination among the alliance partners, despite regular secretariat meetings, seldom translate into alliance programmes. Internal fights should be resolved with greater urgency as they weaken the movement and its capacity to defend the revolution,” it reads, according to Business Day.

Much discussion focused “considerably on a range of internal weaknesses, difficulties and challenges found across all our formations” said the declaration, released on Wednesday. It said there was a growing disconnect between leadership and the public, with branches not aligning their work with the realities communities face and “crass displays of wealth and arrogance”. “These problems reinforce and are connected to the deliberate manipulation and subversion of internal democratic processes through the manipulation of membership through gatekeeping and the use of money to advance individual ambitions and factions based on patronage and nepotism. This behaviour is also the entry-point for corporate capture and private business interests outside of our formations to undermine organisational processes,” the declaration reads. It suggests factions are being bankrolled by those looking for tenders.

These problems have been acknowledged by the ANC and Cosatu in the past, with both planning to rectify them. This time, the alliance partners hope more can be done through efficiently enforcing disciplinary processes and pursuing civil and criminal cases for corruption within the alliance.

Cosatu: strong, militant, divided

While Cosatu has expelled its biggest union, the National Union of Metalworkers SA (NUMSA), its former general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, and in the process there are another eight unions who are challenging the current leadership, the alliance reaffirmed the independence of Cosatu “as a strong militant fighting force”. “The Summit also affirms its support of the right of Cosatu to make its own decisions concerning internal discipline,” read the declaration, meaning the ANC can’t force it to take NUMSA back.

It noted the trend for fewer private sector workers to belong to unions and committed to engage with non-unionised workers to increase working class unity. That unity however is at a low, with the unions associated with Vavi and NUMSA on Wednesday vowing to challenge their expulsions in Cosatu’s upcoming special national congress, a confrontation which could split the federation. The ANC also faces its own challenges, with its Gauteng leadership distancing itself from the president.

Judiciary, know your place

The declaration continued to cast doubt on the powers of the judiciary after ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe, SACP General Secretary Blade Nzimande, and the ANC’s chair of the National Council of Provinces Thandi Modise have recently applied pressure. After noting that the judiciary needs to represent all South Africans and attract the best legal minds, the declaration notes, “The summit expressed concern at the emerging trend, in some quarters, of judicial overreach, thus bringing into question the very fundamental principle of separation of powers on which our democracy rests. There are already commonly expressed concerns that the judgments of certain regions and judges are consistently against the state, which creates an impression of negative bias.”

Recent criticism has not pointed to failings in applying the law, but references to cases where the courts have ruled against government and Parliament. The summit’s declaration questions Constitutional Court Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, who in a speech in 2012 questioned whether the president should be making key legal appointments.

The alliance’s criticism of the courts comes after the state failed to act on a court order to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to face charges at the International Criminal Court. “It’s unfortunate that we actually had to disobey a judge’s order to comply with an international obligation that we have,” ANC Deputy Secretary General Jessie Duarte was quoted during the alliance press conference on Wednesday. “I think the country made the right choice. You do not make the choice to arrest a sitting head of state on your soil, ever.”

Come on, pitch in

The alliance summit didn’t go as far as endorsing President Zuma’s views that you’re lazy, but they believe you could do more, creating a sense that the state cannot continue to lift everybody up, forever. “The liberation struggle was grounded in community activism, solidarity struggles and neighbourhood organisation,” the declaration reads. “This resourcefulness of South Africans is a remarkable asset, but these strengths and traditions have become somewhat weakened by a message that ‘the state will deliver’. While public resources must play the major part, a different relationship between state and communities must be fostered. Our grass-roots organisational structures must play a leading role in mobilising communities to appreciate that freedom comes with rights and responsibilities.”

For a better life for all, employers, unions, civic organisations, and ordinary South Africans need to contribute, it says. The summit also recommended exploring the introduction of a national youth service, which was pushed in the last ANC policy conference and could see youth who are not working or studying go into a type of mandatory service. “An expanded, multi-sectoral youth service can be an important means for providing training and life skills and for countering social alienation manifesting as gangsterism and drug and alcohol abuse,” reads the declaration.

Nkaaaandla

It seems the alliance will continue to push two defences on criticism over the upgrades to the president’s home. Nkandla was discussed and it was agreed Parliament should conclude the matter efficiently. “The alliance calls on government and the courts to conclude all civil, criminal and disciplinary matters directed at those responsible for the gross inflation of both the scope and costs of the project,” reads the declaration – defence one.

“Contrary to disinformation propagated in much of the commercial media, the Report of the Public Protector found explicitly that no undue influence was brought to bear by the President, nor was there any indication of corruption on his part. Suggestions to the contrary are part of an attempt to delegitimise the head of state and our democratically elected government,” it continues – defence two. The challenge is that the opposition parties will never be satisfied with the accountability efforts Parliament employs unless Zuma is held at least partly responsible.

Marikana and mining communities

The ANC and Cosatu in particular have been lashed over Marikana. “This incident was one of the greatest tragedies of our recent history,” reads the summit declaration. It calls for the implementation of the commission’s recommendations before turning to broader issues. Possibly in response to the renewed outrage over Marikana after the release of the report, the presidency and ANC have been hyping the successes of the inter-ministerial committee on mining communities in recent days, and the declaration also mentions it. It also calls for centralised bargaining in the platinum sector, the transformation of public order policing, a review of the migrant labour system, and for mining houses to meet their obligations as outlined in the Mining Charter.

The challenge, as the alliance seems aware, will be transforming all the talk into action. DM

Photo: Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa attends a ‘Millenium Development Goals’ meeting during the general debate of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, New York, USA, 25 September 2013. EPA/PETER FOLEY