Strained relations in the tripartite alliance have come under the spotlight again at COSATU’s 14th National Congress in Midrand, north of Johannesburg.
SACP General-Secretary Solly Mapaila recently said it had become apparent that the ANC they are working with in government was not the same as the one they are working with in the alliance.
The SACP General-Secretary delivered the Ruth First memorial lecture last month unpacking all the challenges faced by the country.
SACP General-Secretary Solly Mapaila delivers Ruth First memorial lecture:
On Monday, delegates of the national congress heckled and booed ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe and blocked him from addressing them. They accuse him and government of failing workers and of reneging on a 2018 wage agreement. Mapaila says the main task of the national congress is to roll back what he terms a neo-liberal agenda that the ANC government is pursuing.
[BREAKING] ANC Chairperson and South South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, booed off stage, walked out of #COSATU’s 14th National Elective Congress.#CosatuNationalCongress2022 pic.twitter.com/FnDkQyjhdm
— Mr. Tshweu (@TshweuMoleme) September 26, 2022
Meanwhile, the director at the Chris Hani Institute Dr Sithembiso Bhengu says this is how workers express their frustrations and anger towards the leadership of the ANC.
“The message was clear these are the frustrations that delegates who are shop stewards of workers on the floor are expressing and I think it’s a clear message around the ANC that they elect but after electing (they) seem not to carry out the kind of mandates that represent the voters. It is indeed about the ANC. It’s not about the individual and obviously, we have seen in May how workers also [told] the leaders about how they feel,” explains Bengu.
COSATU members refuse to be addressed by ANC Chairperson Gwede Mantashe:
