Collapse of NUMSA's "United Front"

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) notices that the metalworkers' union NUMSA, formerly an affiliate of COSATU issued a statement on Friday.

Buried in the more than 6,000 words of NUMSA's usual rhetoric is an admission of complete failure to carry out its long-time plan of creating a "United Front", precursor to a "Movement for Socialism", and of a copycat version of the tripartite National Democratic Revolutionary Alliance of the ANC, SACP and COSATU.

NUMSA is once again "diving in the box" and claiming victimhood. But the defeat of the "United Front" dream, and of all that was to follow, is entirely self-inflicted. It was a disastrous "own goal" for the current NUMSA leadership - the same leadership that defied the majority in COSATU, causing the metalworkers' union to be expelled from the federation.

The demise of the "United Front" marks the beginning of the end of NUMSA's destructive aberrations of the last few years.

SADTU hopes that metalworker members who want NUMSA back in the Federation will now assert themselves within its structures. They should first make sure that poached members of SATAWU, CEPPWAWU, NUM and other COSATU affiliates return to their rightful homes. Then they should make NUMSA submit to COSATU's constitution, and return with dignity to the fold.

The "United Front" failed because it was never united, and because it never had any basis for unity in the first place.

The cabal at the top of NUMSA thought that they could create a coalition of the angry, by bringing together people who are jealous of the ANC's success, and who want to steal the ANC's clothes, with other people who can't bear that kind of success at any price, and who instead want to pursue an ultra-leftist experiment in South Africa, against the wishes of everybody else in the country.

SADTU has also noticed FAWU's statement on Friday. FAWU is now unequivocal in its determination to remain within the ANC fold, and to retain relations with the SACP. FAWU is not interested in any kind of divorce from COSATU, or interested in a new federation.

The clear pro-Alliance statement that FAWU has issued means that the failure of the "United Front" is complete.

We are also happy to note DENOSA's categorical statement of a week ago that said:

"DENOSA is dismayed by the claim made by the former president of South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU), comrade Thobile Ntola, that they had engaged DENOSA on formation of the new public service union. DENOSA would like to categorically distance itself from the formation of this public sector union. DENOSA can confirm that it has never been consulted and it is not party to the formation of a public sector union as reported."

SADTU would like to remind the public that Thobile Ntola was convicted by SADTU's internal disciplinary process of corruption.

Ntola is in our opinion not a fit person to be in the leadership of any union, which is why we dismissed and expelled him from SADTU.

We would warn workers that "SAPSU" is far from being a registered union under the Labour Relations Act, and that they should not join it, or hand over any money to anyone in connection with "SAPSU". This bogus entity, "SAPSU", has no officials, no domicile, no office and no telephone. It is no more than a confidence trick. Beware!

SADTU notes the firm statements made this week by our sister affiliates of COSATU, NEHAWU and NUM. We support what they have said. We are proud to stand with them, and with the overwhelming majority of COSATU members.

Lastly, we want to condemn the conduct of the incumbent General Secretary of COSATU, in particular his refusal to implement the decisions of the CEC. His unprecedented move is an indication of a leader who has clearly grown bigger than the organisation. The General Secretary must be reminded that he is serving us in that office and not his own interests or views. COSATU is not a personal project and he must implement the decisions of the collective instead of reducing the Federation's structural meetings and workshop sessions to the platform to attack the COSATU leadership and deal with the charges preferred against him.

The Constitution of COSATU is very clear about disciplinary procedures and he must abide by that. He must stop using the political process as resolved by the CEC to go around creating chaos in the Federation rather than working for unity and cohesion of the Federation. Is he causing all this constitutional chaos of choosing which decision to implement and which one not to implement as an indication of where he actually belongs?

Is he a free agent of the Federation or the General Secretary elected in accordance with the same constitution he is violating? He must forthwith stop confusing COSATU with his own properties. We urge him to serve COSATU affiliates who own COSATU. There is no COSATU without the affiliates he is undermining. We urge him to abide by the policies and the constitution of COSATU.

SADTU has also noticed the outstanding success of the Young Communist League's 4th National Congress, still under way in Cape Town.

Taking all of the above together, SADTU is happy to note that South Africa's National Democratic Revolution, now in its Radical Second Phase, is very secure as we approach the end of 2014.

We wish all of our members and partners all of the best, including safety and health, during the festive season.

We would also take this opportunity of wishing our beloved liberation movement, the African National Congress, well on the coming 103rd Anniversary of its founding, and a serene and powerful year of government in 2015.

Statement issued by SADTU, December 14 2014

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