ANC leaders should not play cute with principles that have served the movement and stood the test of time

The Congress of South African Trade Unions has noted the statements made by the President of the ANC, Cde Jacob Zuma arguing that there is no policy or tradition on the ANC succession. While we agree with him that there is no existing policy on the succession, we find it curious that he argues against the existence of a practice that the deputy presidents succeeds the presidents in the ANC, since the unbanning in 1990.

COSATU would have deeply appreciated it, if the president of the ANC had shared this understanding and wisdom with the nation ten years ago in 2007. Millions of ANC and Alliance members ,including general supporters came out to support him, and ultimately managed to elevate him to his current position using the same argument that it was customary for deputies to succeed the presidents in the ANC. We find it insincere that he never spoke out then and he never saw anything wrong with that argument at the time. 

The federation totally rejects the argument that the fact that Cde O R Tambo, Cde Nelson Mandela, and Cde Thabo Mbeki were replaced by their deputies was an accident of history. It is very dangerous for leaders to play too cute with the traditions and principles that have united and served the movement and stood the test of time for short term gains and narrow political interest.

COSATU also warns the entire leadership of the ANC against the interminable and inconsistent series of arguments that are meant to malign those regarded as opponents and to glorify others.  The ANC‘s political neck is in the hangman’s noose because of this myopia by those entrusted with leading. Unless the movement abandons this unsettling tendency of treating disagreements as warfare, we can forget about achieving the much needed unity and the 2019 elections.

We also want to reject any attempts to censure COSATU on the succession debate in the ANC. Our alliance is a relationship of equals and if the ANC prides itself of being a leader of the alliance, it needs to learn to listen to and engage with the alliance without characterising our actions and views as impertinent.

Statement issued by COSATU, 13 January 2017