As the COSATU 11th National Congress draws closer one realizes that there is no better moment in our life time to reflect on the gains made by our people, rallying behind organized and united Working Class formations. One also notes with grave dismay the attitudes and agenda that have been adopted by the media in South Africa. The media has suddenly defied all logic of the workers parliament as convened in terms of the COSATU Constitution. There propaganda that this Congress is linked to the Mangaung 53rd National Conference of the ANC is both baseless and unworthy of consideration. One cannot fail to indicate the fact that the Congress is about the assessment of the programme of action of COSATU, its impact on the lives of the ordinary people of our country and the progress the federation has made in pursuance of the needs and interests of the workers and the working class. Unlike some who believe that the congress is about positions of leadership, one believes that it is more about policy formulation and addressing the plight of the people. In this important regard, there is a need for political and organizational maturity in dealing with the questions that face the organization and its members. Our ideological differences should never take centre stage and we must never allow the cancerous leadership ambitions or succession debates dominate or preoccupy our minds during congress proceedings. What has become important is also to seriously discuss how we must protect and defend the federation and its affiliates against the forces of anarchy and their political sponsors. We must never believe that the disunity of one Alliance partner is strength of another and that by fighting amongst ourselves we are doing the workers any favour. In fact, my personal belief is that all affiliates reserve their right to make choices about the leadership of the federation but in a very matured manner they should think about the unity of the organization and be guided by the understanding that the leadership of any organization, its successes and failures can at any time be conveniently attributed to a single leader. Even when we believe that such leader is more skilled or more informed we still must understand that they exist within collectives thus their assessment should in that context. I wish all the delegates great wisdom and a resounding success in the COSATU Congress and that the federation should emerge victorious and united because any disunity in COSATU will amount to greater losses for the workers and the Working Class. We need a united COSATU to dispel the agenda anarchy in the mines of our country to bring about peace in all our communities. United we stand and divide we fall!! Viva COSATU Viva!!! Aluta Continua!!!
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