THE poor handling of certain issues and public spats have undermined our revolution and created the impression of a tripartite alliance that is on its deathbed, with white monopoly capital hovering overhead like hungry vultures.
Despite efforts by white monopoly capital to sustain the narrative of a dead alliance, I hold out hope that a new generation of young leaders will emerge to rescue the alliance.
Over the years I have had the opportunity of serving both Zweli Mkhize, the former premier and provincial ANC chairperson, and KwaZulu-Natal premier and provincial ANC deputy chairperson Willies Mchunu.
Both believe in the alliance. Mchunu is a member of the SACP central executive committee.
A lifelong communist, he has a solid understanding of the alliance. In interactions with him since May last year, I have learnt a lot about the alliance and its role in advancing the objectives of the national democratic revolution.
Mkhize also knows the alliance well, having worked closely with Moses Mabhida and Jacob Zuma over the years, leaders who believed in the alliance. He taught me a lot about the importance of the alliance to South Africa and the continent.
I salute both for their belief in the alliance amid the challenges. They taught me:
* The alliance was set up to advance the objectives of the national democratic revolution. It is an arrangement in which each component has a distinctive role and character and they complement each other rather than compete.
While there is an overlap in membership of the ANC, it is essential that the roles of the components are appreciated as they define its strength.
* The SACP focuses on the mobilisation of the working class to create a socialist state guided by Marxist-Leninist theory, whereas Cosatu is the progressive voice of workers fighting to improve work conditions and comprises an integral part of the liberation forces.
* The ANC is a multi-class organisation with the mission of unifying South Africans - to mobilise across society strata and lead the alliance in the creation and implementation of programmes to further the ideals of the national democratic revolution.
* All in the alliance are committed to the national democratic revolution as an agreed programme to transform society.
* Another component added later to the revolutionary thrust, the South African National Civic Organisation aims to unite civic bodies and take up their struggle to further democracy.
Because they have different objectives and represent diverse constituencies, alliance partners will display contradictions and differ on issues at times.
Despite the contradictions there is space for reconciliation. None of the partners can be replaced by another; nor can any be wished away, for each has a particular role to play.
Mkhize and Mchunu, separately, stressed we should focus on providing a platform to reconcile and resolve the contradictions.
When Mchunu addressed the SACP provincial alliance at the TVET-Asherville campus on September 9 last year, he spoke passionately about unity in the alliance. Mkhize has in the past addressed the alliance summit.
Both pointed out the differences could be managed to ensure all partners remained committed to the national democratic revolution, with the alliance as the driving force.
I learned from both leaders that the essential feature of the alliance was a respect for, and recognition of, the right of each partner to maintain a different membership, structure and constitution and decide on programmes separate from the other partners.
Over the years, organisational discipline, a membership overlap, regular interaction and the participation in joint programmes have helped to deepen the bonds and understanding within the alliance.
Integrity
In addition, alliance leaders were men and women of integrity who respected each other, with their relationship characterised by humility. They worked as selfless servants of the people, not driven by the pursuit of power and wealth.
They did not see their membership as a passport to amassing material possession and securing elevation to positions of personal importance. Now we must consider how we can ensure that, collectively, the alliance works to develop members of calibre and integrity.
Such cadres should be able to provide principled leadership and work tirelessly to develop our people. They must have a deep love for humanity and be dedicated to improving the conditions of squalor and poverty in which many Africans live. They must do so without being tempted by the trappings of power.
We need to discuss a joint programme for political education and development to achieve this.
We must be open to the reality that the changing socio-political and economic environment which has allowed the ANC, supported by its alliance partners, to control the levers of power, and preside over massive resources, has created fault lines in the alliance.
The alliance partners must face up to the unintended consequences of the successes of the national democratic revolution - that in transforming society the ANC-led alliance, as the agents of change, may similarly undergo changes that may accentuate the contradictions among the alliance partners - by virtue of the changing circumstances and aspirations of individual members of the various organisations.
We must correctly analyse this change and its impact on the relationship of alliance partners. Whichever way we gauge the progress in transforming society, defeating poverty remains fundamental.
The majority of our people are poor and the apartheid legacy of rural and peri-urban squalor and apartheid-era human settlements and disease patterns remain visible features of our society. These must change.
We must explore different strategies to eradicate poverty, achieve this change and make our people the centre of the discussion of the programme of action for the alliance.
* Sibiya is the spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu. He writes this in his personal capacity.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.