Johannesburg - One of trade union federation Cosatu’s bigger affiliates has warned that the manner in which the tripartite alliance operated was outdated and that it would disintegrate if changes were not made.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) is the latest tripartite alliance structure to call for it to change the way it functions or risk collapsing.
At its recent national congress, Popcru stated that the method in which the alliance currently operated was obsolete and warned that its mode of operation was incapable of holding it together any longer.
The union, which represents about 160000 police, correctional services and traffic officers across the country, said some of the operating modalities needed to be arranged and enhanced or else it would inevitably disintegrate.
“While the alliance remains relevant and strategic, the method in which it operates is clearly obsolete,” Popcru declared.
It warned that the alliance - the ANC, Cosatu, the SA Communist Party and the SA National Civic Organisation - faces the reality that if its components split as a result of anger and provocation, all would lose.
The union has said the political crisis that has plagued the alliance was due to a lack of ideological, organisational and programmatic cohesion which largely emanated from the interests of those who sought to enrich themselves through the alliance.
Popcru believes the state of affairs of the alliance led to its leaders being subjected to personal and unfair attacks by sections of the media and opposition parties that sought to destabilise that which was not built overnight.
“The current divisions should not be taken for granted, leadership have to stand up, be bold and confront the reality that we are faced with serious disunity that is informed by the latest tendencies that are foreign within the congress movement,” the union declared.
Popcru wants all alliance partners to accept that there are no junior partners. Earlier this week, the alliance's political council convened a two-day meeting to discuss, among other issues, the strengthening of the alliance, the country’s struggling economy and local government.
President Cyril Ramaphosa led the ANC delegation along with party secretary-general Ace Magashule, while Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi headed the federation’s leaders and the SACP was represented by its deputy national chairperson, Thulas Nxesi, and first deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila.
Popcru and the SACP have raised their concerns despite the ANC undertaking in November last year to ensure that the alliance secretariat meets twice a month.