You might think that Numsa’s National Bargaining Conference in April will be the key conference this year. But you would be wrong! There are many more that will vie for top position this year.
Date
Name
Task
April
Cosatu Jobs and Poverty Conference
This was originally planned for June. It will now take place in April.Cosatu’s congress last year resolved that a special conference be held this year to deal with the federation’s aim to make the second decade of democracy benefit the working class. It will formulate policy ideas for Cosatu delegates to feed into both the ANC and SACP Conferences/ Congress.
27 June – 1 July
ANC Policy Conference
This is a smaller conference than the National Conference at the end of the year. The conference will break into smaller commissions. Each commission will have to draw up draft resolutions for the plenary. The plenary will debate each commission’s drafts and enrich them. When these are finalised they will be sent to branches for them to discuss in preparation for the National Conference at the end of the year.Although smaller than the National Conference, the Policy Conference has a broader spread of representation from different levels of the organisation.The ANC NEC will meet on March 16-18. Discussion documents will be released thereafter. These documents will cover:* strategy and tactics (this one has already been released – get a copy from your union office)* economic transformation* social transformation* peace and stability* legislature and governance* constitutional and justice issues* transformation of the media* organisational review (this is a revised version of the document that the Secretary General of the ANC delivered to the NGC last year)
11-15 July
SACP National Congress
elect new national office bearers
formulate policy
17-20 September
Cosatu Central Committee
The CC is like a small congress between congresses. It will review progress on implementing congress decisions and refine policies for the ANC National Conference
15-20 December
ANC National Conference
adopts resolutions
elects national leadership
amends constitution
receives reports from national office bearers
Ode to Ma-Tambo
Cosatu Uitenhage launches the day the ‘groot krokodil’ diesMncedisi Phaphu
I think God deliberately ensured that the Cosatu Uitenhage Local had a successful launch on the same day that the ‘groot krokodil’, P W Botha died. The outgoing chairperson Thembile Stemele before officially opening the meeting came out with the new JZ release: “Thina ngalo Zuma sobula’ikhovu lenja”. In his opening remarks he said that “Cosatu is facing more challenges than pre-1994. Some anti-Cosatu workers say that we are more political rather than focusing on bread and butter issues of the workers”. He also mentioned that the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) originally came from Cosatu but was disturbed by GEAR.The outgoing secretary, Zola Matiwane said that non-attendance of meetings by affiliates is crippling the federation. He urged affiliates to report their programmes to the federation. Fieldmore Mapeto, the Numsa regional education officer, said that 99.9% leadership of the ANC is attached to capitalists and ‘umkhuluwa’, the ANC president, would talk left and act right. Mapeto further said that the president (of the ANC) would tackle head-on any person who talks about socialism and the ANC like SACP secretary general, Blade Nzimande.However Mapeto was openly lashed and thrown through the window by Numsa Uitenhage local organiser Andile Zito for his perpetual utterances in blaming ‘umkhuluwa’ for not having a concrete and clear socialist programme.Zito said that it is the SACP and Cosatu that must champion their own socialist programne, not the ANC because the ANC is leading the government and the alliance. He said that the ANC was never a socialist nor communist movement from its inception therefore “masingaqhubani ngokhalaza within the movement”. Numsa regional chairperson, Nelson Mandela Metro Councillor and Cosatu regional chairperson Zanoxolo Wayile, before he ran the elections, announced that “The Crocodile has died”. He said that if Botha goes to heaven he, Wayile, would organise a petition.”By the death of this monster crocodile we must take stock and educate our kids and tell them where we are coming from with the struggle”.The newly elected Cosatu Uitenhage local is as follows: Chairperson Thembile Stemele (Numsa – re-elected); Deputy chairperson – Ncane (Sadtu – newly elected); Secretary – Andile Gqabi (Numsa – newly elected); Treasurer – Nosipho Rayi (Sasawu – newly elected).
(1929-2007)
Aubrey ka Saki
Glitters a smile, withWarmth, courage and honesty,Destination inner spacesCould not bar her will,A star that bright to shineMore than twinkling stars.
As jades of various coloursProtrude into sparkles of lightNone equals her gaze’cos such a gaze manoeuvresPrecious stones to fade.
A unifier, patriot, combatant,Seasoned to African bongo drumsTo outlive draconian legislationFor the emancipation of human soulsTo attain liberation of her fatherland.
Then joins her old man OR,Amongst the ancestry of the TambosTo dwell in sacred communionTogether as one blood, one heart.
Ma-Tambo, touch my soul,Spirited to your sounds of freedom,A call ye rendered never surrendered.For the freeness of every nation.The people are governing.