ANC+NW+Provincial+General+Council+held+on+23+November+2007




 * COSATU North West press statement, 23 November 2007**

=ANC Provincial General Council held on 23 November 2007=

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West condemns the attitude of the ANC towards the Alliance and the National Congress in December 2007. It was clear from the input made by the ANC chief whip on 22nd November 2007 on Radio Motsweding that it was the ANC PEC decision not to invite the Alliance to the ANC Provincial General Council (PGC), which is dealing with issues, including nominating leaders to the Limpopo conference.

COSATU wants to confirm its statement that the ANC in North West is divided and that this is affecting the Alliance.

It is true what the ANC chief whip is saying - that the Alliance has been meeting. As COSATU we are saying the Alliance is about programmes and implementing joint decisions. At this stage the ANC chief whip cannot quote a single issue that was agreed at the ten-a-side meeting being implemented. Therefore there is not a good relationship in the Alliance.

It cannot be correct for the ANC chief whip to say there is a good Alliance with no divisions when he knows very well that the decision not to invite the alliance to the PGS was based on their dictatorial power, which they know that COSATU has been challenging.

We are told publicly by the ANC chief whip that the ANC has changed the PGC to be the PNGC. But not all members of the ANC know this, only the ANC North West leadership, until it was announced on Radio Motsweding on 22nd November 2007 between 23h30 and 01h00.

Once again as we have argued in the formal Alliance meetings, and publicly in the media, that we owe no one an apology for defending the rights of the farm workers in this province and defending the federation policy positions that were taken by a constitutional structure of the federation.

We owe nobody an apology for challenging any one who wants to use the ANC for their personal interests, like the ANC North West chief whip. If the government led by the ANC is in control, and the Alliance is working with no divisions, we should have no ANC councillor resigning to join other weak political parties, as in Mamusa.

We would not have had farm workers evicted since 2002 others still not provided with proper accommodation or RDP houses, It cannot be correct for the ANC chief whip, who was removed from national parliament because of personal, capitalist interests to say they are doing well for the poor working class, when he knows that they are doing well for themselves, including those who support their cabals.

We repeat what we said as the PEC of Cosatu that:


 * We reject //The road to and from Limpopo// and advise all members of ANC, SACP and COSATU not to read the document.
 * COSATU and its members will continue to support Comrade Jacob Zuma for President of the ANC and the country.
 * We will not be blackmailed or threatened by anybody, including the ANC chief whip’s attack on the COSATU Provincial Secretary.
 * Divisions in the ANC are there, and they need leaders who are not capitalist opportunists and dictators to deal with them.

All issues that were raised by the COSATU Provincial Secretary over the media debates with the ANC chief whip were raised in formal Alliance meetings more than twenty times. It cannot be correct for the opportunist chief whip to say that the platform for discussions on those matters is the Alliance. He knows very well that they came with an attitude and said that this meeting was led by the ANC. I want him to say to the public that we agreed to provide legal assistance to the family of Tshepo Gaurupi, a nine-year boy killed by ten lions, as agreed in the last alliance on the 5 October 2007 at Moses Kotane.

I want him to say to the public that we agreed in 2006 to a joint programme with the alliance. For example, the ANC is invited to the COSATU Jobs and Poverty Summit and the Provincial Shop Stewards Council’s political school. They confirm that in the end they do come and that there is a good relationship within the Alliance. Yet recently they refused to support the public sector strike and said they cannot march against themselves; and this arrogance was led by the same ANC chief whip.

We do not need a lecture by the opportunists or capitalists. Anybody who wants to lecture us as workers must attend our socialist forum at any of locals every Wednesday. It must be clear that the lecture presented to the public by the ANC chief whip over Radio Motsweding was wrong.

We call on all our members not to waste their time to read, or contaminate their mind with the so-called Road to and from Limpopo. All COSATU members must make sure that they understand their own resolutions from the 9th National congress and Central Committee (CC), and the policies of the ANC and SACP.

The exclusion of the Alliance, COSATU in particular, from the ANC Provincial General Council, which was held on the 23rd of November 2007 will not stop COSATU supporting Jacob Zuma and the rest of those identified by the COSATU CC.


 * For more information feel free to call Solly N Phetoe, COSATU NW Provincial Secretary, on 082 304 4055**

By e-mail

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