Groupings in ANC must cease to exist: Mabuza

African National Congress (ANC) Deputy president David Mabuza has condemned those who define themselves according to campaign groups that existed before the party’s 54th National Conference which was held in Johannesburg in December 2017.

Mabuza was addressing a Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) May Day rally at Curries Fountain in Durban. He has called on ANC members to forget about their preferred candidates in the run-up to 2017’s national conference and rally behind the elected leadership.

“We went to the 54th National Conference being a crippled organisation, characterised by divisions and groupings inside the ANC. There were NDZ and CR17 groupings. We are saying those groupings must cease to exist. There is one elected leadership led by President and the NEC and we call on members to support the President and the NEC. The ANC must work with the alliance.”

Durban was brought to a standstill as workers took their struggles to the street.  They’re frustrated with labour laws and conditions workers face on a daily basis.

The minimum wage was another sore point for unions.

Deputy President Mabuza says, “We agree that the minimum wage is not a living wage, but it’s a starting point. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a mile. Discussions around this are ongoing, but we need to start there…”

Meanwhile the SACP in KwaZulu-Natal has called for the reconfiguration of the ANC-led alliance so that the decisions on governance issues are not only taken by the ANC.

Speaking at the provincial May Day rally at Curris Fontein in Durban, SACP Provincial Chairperson James Nxumalo said all alliance partners must have an equal say on decisions that affect them.

“The centre of power must be the alliance as a strategic centre of power that is why we are calling for the reconfiguration of the alliance so that decisions must not be taken by one component of the alliance.”