ANC PRESS STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO COSATU

The African National Congress (ANC) is astonished and totally taken aback by yesterday's spurious and divisive allegations by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) claiming that some faceless ANC members planned to oust President Jacob Zuma and Secretary General Gwede Mantashe at the organisation's National General Council (NGC) in September (see document).

We would like to dismiss these sentiments with contempt, as they are totally unfounded. These sentiments are clearly not borne out of any truth because no member or structure of the ANC has taken such a resolution or mobilised for such. The ANC wants to reiterate that both the President and Secretary General - who were democratically elected at the organisation's 52nd National Conference in Polokwane in 2007 - enjoy the overwhelming support of all ANC structures and membership, and will continue to fulfil their mandate within their five year elected period. The COSATU statement is, therefore, not only misleading but is also divisive and it seeks to create an atmosphere of political instability within the ANC and by extension in the country.

Contrary to COSATU's claim, the NGC - will be looking at how far the ANC has gone in implementing its policies, determine and review the policies as well as the programme of the ANC. This will serve as a mid-term review of work undertaken by the ANC - both at organisational and Governmental level since its elective conference in 2007. The NGC has no authority on rescinding, altering any resolutions taken at the National Conference.

The ANC has grown weary of the latest media outbursts by COSATU, seeking to rubbish and undermine anything from the content of the President's State of the Nation Address to the Budget Speech by the Finance Minister, as well as ANC policies. Taking pot shots at the ANC and its Government show signs by COSATU of veering towards oppositional politics and not sticking to Alliance politics and traditions. We call on COSATU and its affiliates to stick to the known rules of engagement by discussing issues through such platforms as the Secretariat, Political Council and Bilaterals. In line with known protocols of engagement within the Alliance, it is not appropriate for COSATU to raise issues in public - particularly as they reflect on the political life of an Alliance partner - without doing so internally within the Alliance or with that partner.

Communicating among each other through the media is not how the Alliance has operated over many years. Taking pot-shots at the ANC through cheap news headlines will not serve to build the Alliance but to weaken it. The ANC is disappointed at the conduct of COSATU in the recent past. We will be - in the immediate - be calling for a bilateral with COSATU where we will further elaborate on numerous issues that have disappointed us.

Statement issued by African National Congress spokesperson, Jackson Mthembu, March 5 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter