Johannesburg - Two Cosatu provinces have emerged from their congresses unhappy with the state of the ANC-led alliance, divisions within their own federation and a loss of membership.
Cosatu members in North West and Mpumalanga held congresses, which ended at the weekend, to assess their organisations and elect new leaders.
The meetings brought to the fore uncomfortable truths that have been trivialised by the national Cosatu leadership, which always strives to paint a picture of a Cosatu that overcame its problems after dismissing National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) and former general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
Delegates at the North West congress, which re-elected Solly Phetoe as provincial secretary despite rumours he was aligned to Vavi and Numsa, re-emphasised the need for unity.
“We have noted that despite the unity seen in the province, the ANC continues to be marred by factions and factional tendencies, and members of Cosatu are not immune to these tendencies,” read their congress declaration.
The sentiment was similar in Mpumalanga, where 674 delegates called on the ANC to deal with growing “class contradictions” in the movement.
“We cannot celebrate the non-effectiveness of this revolutionary alliance in Mpumalanga.”
The alliance in the province has been in tatters, with the differences coming to a head in January when members of the ANC and SACP exchanged bloody blows.
The Star