A WHIFF OF DEMOCRACY IN THE COSATU AIR
by Terry Bell
There is just the faintest breeze of renewal and democracy wafting through the
bureaucratic corridors of Cosatu and disturbing the cobwebs of dogma that have
tangled up due process in the country’s largest labour federation. It comes in the
form of the election of David Sipunzi as general secretary of the National Union of
Mineworkers (NUM).
Sipunzi has clearly read, understood, and seems prepared to act on the basis of
Cosatu’s constitution. This document provides a recipe for democratic house
cleaning and, if consistently applied, should ensure the unity in diversity and
membership control that is the essence of democracy.
But whether Sipunzi will be able to apply the recipe is another matter. Especially
since Cosatu is still under the control of a bureaucratic cabal wedded to the dogma
that has caused the current crisis.
This dogma has its origins in the SA Communist Party (SACP). It sees the ANC as
the essential vehicle in which to achieve an ill-defined socialism via a national
democratic revolution (NDR). To this end, party members are required to take
control of all the leading positions in society, the trade unions being essential.
But now the SACP is split. Both expelled Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi
and his counterpart in the also expelled National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa)
were, until recently, members of the SACP. Karl Cloete, deputy general secretary of
Numsa was also formerly an extremely loyal Western Cape provincial secretary of
that party.
It is this that makes the victory of David Sipunzi so important. And particularly
because of some of the statements that he made in the immediate wake of his victory.
He noted that he kept being asked by NUM members: “When is Vavi coming back?”
And he went on to call for the expulsion of Vavi and Numsa to be reviewed.
According the Cosatu constitution, only a national congress of all affiliates can ratify
and may overturn an expulsion decision by the executive. This process continues to
be ignored.
Sipunzi also stressed: “Cosatu members don’t have to support the ANC-led tripartite
alliance to remain in the fold of the federation.” Once again, this is in line with the
federation’s constitution. And, once again, this is resisted by the believers in an NDR
road to a working class nirvana.
However, NUM’s new general secretary defeated the long serving Frans Baleni, a
central committee (CC) member of the SACP by just nine votes, an indication that
the union is split right down the middle. Similar divisions probably exist in a number
other Cosatu affiliates currently aligned with the controlling Cosatu faction headed by
president S’dumo Dlamini, also a CC member of the SACP.
Such is the substance of the turmoil within Cosatu. However, form continues to be
followed, with messages of solidarity and congratulation being sent from various
unions allied to the Cosatu leadership and from the SACP. The exception was
Dlamini who noted that Sipunzi’s comments were “uncalled for and unfortunate”.
Dlamini has consistently opposed the right of Numsa and Vavi to attend and put their
cases to a special national congress (SNC) now scheduled for next month. It was for
this reason that Numsa attempted to gain access to the congress by making an urgent
application to the high court.
But the judge played Pontius Pilate and effectively washed is hands of the matter by
declaring that it was not urgent. So Numsa’s constitutional right to be heard at — and
therefore to attend — the SNC, was not ruled on.
These developments have all the ingredients of a farce, but they do seem to indicate
that the final episode in this messy saga is dawning. The hope within the majority of
the Cosatu leadership appears to be that Numsa and Vavi will finally walk away and
form another federation, taking with them dissident elements within the loyalist
faction. It would then be unnecessary to stage a promised hearing for Vavi and
Numsa at the scheduled national congress in November.
But a split at this stage could leave Cosatu with a rump of membership largely drawn
from the public sector, something Gwede Mantashe, a former NUM general secretary
and now secretary general of the ANC this week warned against. However, it is clear
that the current majority on the Cosatu executive want rid of both Vavi and Numsa,
so are unlikely to back down.
Given this reality, the pending divorce proceedings will almost certainly be
acrimonious and the initial outcome both messy and confused. But it may also blow
away the cobwebs of dogma and perhaps result in a healthier, even stronger, labour
movement in the long run.
Terry Bell
writing, editing, broadcasting
specialising in:
political/economic analysis and labour
P.O Box 373, Muizenberg 7950
South Africa
Tel: +27 +(0)21 788 9699
Skype: belnews • Twitter: @telbelsa
Blog: terrybellwrites.com