Bid to replace SACP boss ‘will not succeed’ Young Communist League races to the rescue of embattled SACP secretary-general Blade Nzimande SIBONGAKONKE SHOBA Published: 2011/06/01 06:35:39 AM
THE Young Communist League yesterday came out in defence of South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade Nzimande, saying the alleged campaign to have him replaced by Zwelinzima Vavi next year would not succeed. Comments by the SACP are an indication of how the parallel battles for control of the SACP, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the African National Congress have divided the tripartite alliance. All a re to elect new leaders next year. The outcome of the SACP and Cosatu conferences will have a bearing on the ANC conference. Mr Nzimande’s survival as SACP head is expected to guarantee the party’s support for President Jacob Zuma ’s bid for a second term. Speculation is rife that a faction of the SACP is lobbying for Mr Vavi to take on Mr Nzimande at the SACP congress next year. The Young Communist League said Mr Vavi’s criticism of Mr Nzimande’s deployment to the government as a Cabinet minister confirmed this speculation. League national secretary Buti Manamela said the utterances of leaders of some unions, such as the South African Democratic Teachers Union and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA , indicated that they were part of this campaign. "That campaign will never succeed," he said . Mr Vavi and the heads of some Cosatu-affiliated unions have been very vocal about Mr Nzimande’s deployment, saying the decision had weakened the SACP. Mr Vavi has on numerous occasions called on the SACP to recall Mr Nzimande . Yesterday, Mr Manamela said all alliance leaders questioning the deployment were in fact consulted before a decision was taken. "If there was any merit in the criticism by Cosatu, the federation would not try to make news over the issues but … engage the SACP directly," he said . "Some of the individuals who are now vocal on this issue were part of the (deployment) discussion and they never raised these concerns." Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said the league’s claims were "ridiculous". "We have never made any statements about Mr Nzimande as an individual, but we said the SACP needs full-time office bearers. We have never tried to influence the SACP’s choice of leadership." Mr Manamela was briefing the media on the outcome of the Young Communist League national committee meeting at the weekend. He said the committee was concerned over the ANC’s performance in last month’s municipal elections. Its campaign had been affected by the succession debate . "( It) was more about where so-and-so stands on 2012," Mr Manamela said. The league refused to comment on the coming ANC Youth League conference, saying it had "no interest on the … contest". It would get the leadership "it deserves". [email protected] -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
