Long live the season of strikes and electoral politics!
The week of the 17th September 2007, in which Cosatu held its Central Committee, represented a climax reminiscent of what Joe Slovo recorded in the 1990s: “the increased tempo of struggle in our country in the last few years (that) has stimulated a great deal of theoretical debate and political discussion among those in the very front line of the upsurge.” (from “˜The South African working class and the National Democratic Revolution’)Slovo, Oom Gov and many heroes and heroines of our struggle, would be turning in their graves at the amount of anger and conspiracy theories bedevilling the forces of liberation. This CC of the Federation, which was tasked to take forward the resolutions of the 9th Cosatu Congress, was characterised by the politics of back-stabbing, palace politics, voting fodder, a revolution is on trial, union credit card and poetry in politics.Seated in front, I battled as a leader to understand what indeed the meeting was all about. Was it about “˜capturing the soul’ of the Federation, or indeed as the meeting resolved at the end, engendering leadership in the ANC that is working class biased and pro-poor?Slovo in 1988 says: “Increasing numbers of our people understand the essence of Lenin’s maxim: Without revolutionary theory, there can be no real revolutionary movement.”He further says: “These discussions and debates keep coming back, in one way or another, to certain fundamentals: class and national struggle, the question of stages of struggle, inter-class alliances, and the role of our working class in the liberation front. Many of these debates are between people who share common starting points; a belief that national domination is linked to capitalism and an acceptance of a socialist South Africa. But there is not always clarity on the most effective tactical road towards this goal.”Some of the discussions pursued and papers presented in the Cosatu CC reflected what Slovo defined as, “people who share a common starting point…but there is not always clarity on the most effective tactical road towards this goal.” Returning back to the 9th Cosatu Congress resolutions, this meeting resolved;* That we should convene a Cosatu CC this September to consider developing a programme that will unite the Alliance, “enter into an in “˜principle’ debate and resolve on a programme that must unite the liberation movement and identify leadership which best pursues a programme in the interests of the working class.”* Consider the development of a “˜Pact’ that binds the Alliance components towards the 2009 General Elections.* Discuss and conceptualise the trajectory of the NDR and its relationship to the struggle for socialism.An observation I made suggests that many Cosatu unions did not prepare thoroughly on these matters. This was reflected in the discussion in Commissions and reports to the plenary. On the leadership for the ANC, the CC resolved, “to seek to contribute, in a non-sectarian manner, to the ANC’s nomination and election process and outcome through Cosatu cadres directly involved in ANC structures in preparation for its 52nd National Congress to be held in December 2007 in Limpopo…… .and that the Central Committee identify and recommend to its cadres who are in ANC structures (not nominate) possible candidates for the top six positions of the ANC NEC and present the following names for consideration;President – Cde Jacob Zuma.Deputy President – Cde Kgalema MontlatheSecretary General – Cde Gwede MantasheDeputy Secretary General – Cde Baleka MbetheTreasurer General – Cde Matthew PhosaNational Chairperson – Cdes Stofile Makhenkesi/ Nkosazana ZumaOn the issues of the NDR and its relationship with the struggle for socialism, we were found wanting on theory and substance. In the coming months, we must pay particular attention to these vexing questions of the transition and find the “clarity on the most effective road” as Slovo suggests.From the outcome of the Cosatu CC, what is clear is that the “˜battle lines’ are drawn towards Limpopo and 2009. The song in the meeting captured this mood, “˜sohlangana e-Limpopo’.