Johannesburg - Cosatu’s congress will debate a resolution on whether the South African Communist Party should go it alone for elections.
“As Cosatu, we believe that the SACP should stand for elections on its own, which will be in alliance with the ANC based on its own political terms guided by the needs of the working class and nothing else,” the resolution reads.
The resolution is proposed by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union and the Police and Prison Civil Rights Union.
The two also propose that Cosatu increases the depth of its relationship with the SACP as a political party with its socialist vision, and that the federation provides resources to build the SACP.
“Cosatu must have a focused campaign to re-establish party units in workplaces and strengthen SACP branches where they are weak and help build new ones where they don’t exist,” the resolution reads.
SACP boss Blade Nzimande addressed the congress in Midrand on Tuesday morning where he received rousing applause.
He told delegates that those who had opened the presidential succession debate for the ANC president in 2017 were “irresponsible” and “dangerous”.
While Cosatu is unlikely to back an ANC candidate publicly, many do want Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma, as ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe is understood to be on his ticket. Both men are former unionists.
LABOUR BUREAU