COSATU Northern Cape responds to the unfounded allegations made by the Free State Provincial Chairperson of the ANC
2 May 2017
The Provincial Executive Committee of COSATU in the Northern Cape condemns with contempt it deserves the sniffer dog and divisive attitude displayed by the chairperson of the ANC in the Free State at the national Workers Day Celebrations in the Free State on Monday, 01 May 2017 alleging that the workers who booed the President were bussed form Kimberley.
We want to first refer Comrade Ace Magashule to one of the critical quotes of one of the finest revolutionaries that the African continent ever produced: “Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes and failures.”
His utterances smacks of a mischievous boy who lied to his father that he has done the work he was tasked to do only to find out that he has not. For the fear of reprimand he is looking for a scapegoat for his own lies and when looking around he finds his brother as the most appropriate scapegoat.
We want to put it on record that COSATU had two rallies in the Northern Cape, in De Aar and Upington and our members from Frances Baard which includes Kimberley attended the rally in De Aar. The assertion that people were bussed to Bloemfontein is just a flimsy attempt to distract attention from the real issues.
Our Marxism teaches us that change is not accidental but it follows certain laws of history therefore we want to advise Comrade Magashule and those close to him to ask themselves a difficult question as to how it has happened that an activity of the workers in the province that he claims to be so much in control of turned out to be the direct opposite of what they wanted it to be. They should further ask what led to the workers who so loved the President that they, together with the communists, picked him up when he was at his weakest and vulnerable in 2006 and eleven years down the line they no longer want his leadership.
Furthermore, the ANC in the Free State incited what happened in Bloemfontein by pre-empting that event and through their Spokesperson threatening to bus in ANC members to a COSATU rally to defend their President as if President Zuma is not our President and workers are not ANC members. Instead of uniting the ANC they are driving a wedge by seeking to isolate the workers from our own ANC.
It is very dangerous to have a Mr Right attitude and attribute all organisational challenges to others and fail to make introspection. We agree with the spokesperson that the events that unfolded in Mangaung call for the leadership of the alliance to pause and make an assessment of all the recent negative developments surrounding the alliance, particularly our President and find a way out of the current political quagmire.
The claims that you are in charge when you gradually lose ground and the ANC is losing support because of you and your behaviour will not help us to defend the ANC. The Christians say the beginning of repentance is by acknowledging and recognising your sins. We are therefore making a plea to the leadership of the ANC at all levels to admit their weaknesses and correct them in the interest of saving the ANC from demise.
We will not take kind to any attempts to pigeon hole us by making unfounded allegations and workers lose respect easily for people who behave as if they are above all human beings and are super beings. Respect is mutual and it is earned through respect and honour.
Issued by Anele Gxoyiya, Provincial Secretary, COSATU PEC Northern Cape, 2 May 2017
