Business Day
*ANC advised to avoid divisions as Mangaung nears****Sam Mkokeli and Natasha Marrian, Business Day, Johannesburg, 21 September 2012*
HAVING been re-elected without opposition this week, the Congress of South African Trade Unions' (Cosatu's) leaders advised the African National Congress (ANC) to avoid divisions in the build-up to the Mangaung congress.
Sections of Cosatu have been critical of President Jacob Zuma's leadership, but they left singing a different tune when the labour federation wrapped up its elective congress in Midrand yesterday.
Cosatu's unity calls will boost the campaign to avoid a leadership challenge in Mangaung by re-electing Mr Zuma.
Speaking to journalists yesterday, general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the ANC could learn from Cosatu's elective gathering, which had agreed on union leadership choice but still maintained robust debates on politics and policy.
Mr Vavi said while the ANC needed to be nudged to be more decisive in fighting poverty and protecting workers, there was a risk of the ruling party being captured by tenderpreneurs in Mangaung.
The Cosatu congress hastily deferred ANC leadership discussions to a central executive committee meeting, to be held next month.
The federation forms part of the ruling alliance with the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP) and was set to discuss whether to pronounce on ANC leadership and whether to endorse Mr Zuma for a second term.
Cosatu promised a "Lula moment" of decisive leaders and a new approach to tackle poverty, unemployment and inequality, but few decisions were taken which provide testament to such a shift.
The congress deferred the discussion on leadership to a special meeting of its top brass at the central executive committee, despite many affiliates pushing for the talks to take place at the congress --- and in full view of the media.
The push for the talks to take place was led by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and by the South African Democratic Teachers Union. But the discussion was extinguished by Cosatu leadership, who cited time constraints as the main reason. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union had put forward a resolution calling for Cosatu to endorse Mr Zuma in December, which was also shifted to the central executive committee meeting.
Numsa, according to its president Cedric Gina, has also resolved to support Mr Zuma --- but not his entire leadership collective. Another key discussion that was deferred was Cosatu's posture in relation to its allies, the ANC and the SACP --- although Cosatu reiterated its call for the alliance to be the strategic political centre, while the ANC sees itself as the centre.
The discussion on the national minimum wage and collective bargaining would take place at a conference early next year. Cosatu reiterated its demand for a total ban on labour brokers.
The ANC-led government is adamant on regulating labour brokers instead of an outright ban.
A side issue --- but one believed to be of national interest by the union pushing for it --- of changing the national anthem was also deferred.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union is pushing for Cosatu to resolve on pushing for the English and Afrikaans sections of the anthem to be removed.
It wants the anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' Africa, as composed by Enoch Sontonga, to replace it.
*From: http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/politics/2012/09/21/anc-advised-to-avoid-divisions-as-mangaung-nears*
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