The+ANC+Lekgotla,+COSATU+Media+Release

COSATU Media Release, Thu 2007/01/25 03:35 PM
=__ANC Lekgotla__=

The Congress of South African Trade Unions issued a statement on 21 January 2007 saying that it would not comment on a report in that day’s City Press alleging that COSATU representatives almost walked out of the ANC Lekgotla on 19 January. This was because the report was based on a leak from an anonymous source, a practice that we have consistently condemned.

COSATU has written to the African National Congress, deploring the leaking and twisting of the discussion which took place at the ANC Lekgotla and the culture that now exists of some comrades using the media to fight internal battles.

COSATU reaffirms its strong condemnation of this counter-revolutionary practice and in particular the way in which those who leaked the information deliberately misinformed the public of the essence of what happened during the ANC President’s political overview address, after which he invited comrade Jabu Moleketi to speak, who then launched the most vicious attack on the integrity of COSATU to date.

The leak was a deliberate political strategy to win space for factional interests and impose a particular hegemony in the movement and society.

It remains our standard practice not to engage in debates instigated by anonymous sources and not to dignify this practice of leaking and twisting information with a comment. Leaks and twisting of facts never helps in fostering unity and conducting genuine and necessary debates on differences that will always be part of any marriage. Employment of certain newspapers to impose hegemony only distorts the kind of robust engagement that is necessary and puts everyone on the defensive, whilst robbing all those involved of an equal chance to engage in a public discourse.

We are now forced to make an exception to the general stance we have adopted not to engage with information from twisters and leakers, given that this debate has now entered the public domain and people have only heard the leakers’ distorted version of the events at the Lekgotla. So COSATU has no alternative but to make an exception to this principle, restate its fundamental position and respond publicly in order to put the record straight, as a number of our cadres are asking if COSATU was correct to take the stance the media reports allege that it took.

The debate was never about COSATU “trying to turn the ANC into a socialist organisation”, which it has never said. The ANC is a national liberation movement uniting all compatriots opposed to the apartheid system and who seek to replace it with a united South Africa that does not discriminate against people on the grounds of their race, sex, creed or religion.

Because the ANC is a liberation movement, within its ranks there are communists, socialists, social democrats, capitalists, including free market fundamentalists, traditionalists, feminists, etc. Indeed the ANC is not a socialist organisation. Equally the ANC, precisely because of its character, is not a narrow capitalist organisation.

The cornerstone of its policy is the Freedom Charter, which was never a socialist or a capitalist programme. At best both the Freedom Charter and the RDP advocate a mixed economy with a strong role for the state. The ANC for more than 95 years now has united all classes and social strata in opposition to the national oppression.

Contradictions within these different classes were managed in a manner that fostered the unity of the oppressed that eventually defeated the apartheid system. This does not mean that the ANC is class neutral - the ANC has over years developed a working-class bias and accepted that the working class is the primary motive force for liberation.

The criticism of COSATU’s Ninth National Congress resolutions, in particular its resolution on the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) and socialism (see below), by the ANC President and Jabu Moleketi, concerned whether this resolution was correct or not in demanding that the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) should take a socialist character and deliver socialism.

Unfortunately the distortion from the leakers was phrased in a dangerously narrow fashion. It implied that, since the ANC is not a socialist organisation, therefore it must be a capitalist organisation. That is the view of those who raised this issue at the Lekgotla. Those who leaked and distorted the discussion did so in order to promote this view in the public mind and try to impose it in the movement and society as the truth.

COSATU takes a very different and more considered view, as a reading of the resolution makes very clear. This resolution was moved, debated and passed in a democratic process involving thousands of workers and their representatives, before and during the Congress. It is not a policy they adopted lightmindedly but the product of deep concern and serious debate.

We affirm the right of anyone, including the ANC leaders and members, to disagree with any of the COSATU positions and to use whatever arguments they choose to back their point of view.

The situation in the Lekgotla however had nothing to do with the exercising of this right to disagree. It has to do with the manner in which this right was exercised. COSATU was subjected to the worse attack, called all manner of names, insulted in the most unbelievable fashion and dangerous labels were used against it. Labels and insults do not promote comradely debates, as the ANC President once noted.

The resolution speaks for itself, but certain key features need to be emphasised. It noted with concern the adoption by government of “a conservative economic policy that limits spending on social and economic development programmes”, that “the strategic socialist direction of the NDR has been increasingly challenged by a capitalist agenda, for example through the post-1996 class project” and that “the current trajectory of the NDR, if left unchallenged, can deliver our revolution into the hands of the capitalist class”.

That is surely true. Underlying these concerns are the continuing intolerable levels of unemployment and poverty and the runaway casualisation of jobs, while the captains of capitalism are pocketing record profits and incomes. The world’s highest levels of inequality are proof enough that the delegates’ concerns at the way the economy is developing are fully justified.

While great, historic improvement in people’s lives have been achieved on the political front, with a democratic constitution, respect for human rights and much progressive legislation, the equivalent transformation on the economic front has simply not happened. On the contrary business chiefs, most of them still white males, have profited most from 12 years of democracy, while the overwhelming African majority remain trapped in degrading poverty and unemployment.

The resolution is making the obvious point that this was worsened by some of the government’s policies, particularly privatisation and GEAR, that have destroyed jobs and channelled the bulk of the country’s resources into the hands of the capitalists.

The resolution went on to argue that because of the multi-class character of the NDR, various class forces continue to contest its essence and that “since the ascendancy of the ANC into power, the primary contradiction has begun to elevate itself, with a life-and-death fight now underway for the control of the ANC between the working class and the comprador, parasitic, aspirant black capitalist class”.

It concluded that “the post-1996 class project is in deep crisis and the solution can only be provided by a working class leadership of the NDR. The solution requires a complete break with the policies promoted or advanced by this class project”.

The Congress then resolved __to “adopt an official position that rejects the separation of the NDR from socialism and asserts that the dictatorship of the proletariat is the only guarantee that there will be a transition from NDR to socialism. A popular movement towards socialism, located within a restructured Alliance and involving a range of mass movements, must be formed to assert the leadership of the working class in the NDR”.__

Then, in its final clause the resolution calls for __“an open debate and discussion within the ANC (and the Alliance as a whole) on the relationship between the NDR and socialism.__ This debate must be accommodated at the 2007 ANC National conference”.

It is the underlined words amongst others that came under fire from Jabu Moleketi, who argued that they were inconsistent with Marxism/Leninism. This is the crux of the difference between the COSATU Ninth National Congress resolution and the ANC President and comrade Jabu Moleketi.

COSATU disputes the assertion that the NDR is ordained to deliver capitalism and that the role of the working class is to strengthen the power of the bourgeoisie or the stranglehold it has over society and the economy. We shall argue in the bilateral with the ANC that it is an incorrect reading of Marxism and Leninism that democratic revolutions or the struggle to defeat national oppression and for democracy can only strengthen the bourgeoisie. We believe that the COSATU congress resolution was correct in making the assertion is has made.

This clarification completely counters the impression created by the leakers that COSATU and the SACP are “trying to turn the ANC into a socialist organisation”.


 * RESOLUTION**
 * This Ninth National Congress notes:**
 * 1) The persistent dominance of a perspective that separates national democracy from socialism, with the so-called “Third Way” dominating the international political discourse.
 * 2) A conservative economic policy that limits spending on social and economic development programmes, while business wants to roll back the progressive labour regime established after 1994.
 * 3) A revolution is worth nothing if it cannot defend itself and seize state power.
 * 4) Historically, the NDR has always provided a clear and unambiguous attitude towards socialism. Currently, the clear dangers are that the historical attitude of the NDR towards socialism is being challenged within the Alliance.
 * 5) Since the April 1994 democratic breakthrough, while the theory of the NDR has been fully adopted by the ANC through its strategy and tactics, the relationship between the NDR and socialism has not been fully discussed within the ANC itself. Failure to address this question has been partly responsible for the rupture on our shared understanding of the NDR.
 * 6) The strategic socialist direction of the NDR has been increasingly challenged by a capitalist agenda, for example through the post-1996 class project.
 * 7) In recent times, the leadership role of the NDR has been taken over by other class forces, particular the capitalist class. This is demonstrated by the fact that the capitalist class (black or white) has been the main beneficiary since the April 1994 democratic breakthrough.
 * 8) The current trajectory of the NDR, if left unchallenged, can deliver our revolution into the hands of the capitalist class.
 * Believing:**
 * 1) The NDR seeks to resolve national, class and gender contradictions in our society and lay the basis for socialism, which means it must affect property relations.
 * 2) Because of the multi-class character of the NDR, various class forces continue to contest its essence.
 * 3) Since the ascendancy of the ANC into power, the primary contradiction has begun to elevate itself, with a life-and-death fight now underway for the control of the ANC between the working class and the comprador, parasitic, aspirant black capitalist class.
 * 4) The comprador element has gained access and influence through the office of the Presidency in policy formulation to disarm and re-direct the NDR from its socialist orientation envisaged in the Morogoro and Kabwe conferences and the Green Book.
 * 5) The post-1996 class project is in deep crisis and the solution can only be provided by a working class leadership of the NDR. The solution requires a complete break with the policies promoted or advanced by this class project.
 * Therefore this Ninth National Congress resolves:**
 * 1) The Alliance is meant to achieve a minimum programme and, given its multi-class character and the associated limitations, the Alliance cannot be the vehicle to achieve an egalitarian society.
 * 2) The working class must re-direct the NDR towards socialism and jealously guard it against opportunistic tendencies that are attempting to wrest it from achieving its logical conclusion, which is socialism.
 * 3) The working class should assert its leadership role of the NDR, and not outsource this leadership role to other class forces.
 * 4) The working class must mobilise society and all progressive forces against the current macroeconomic framework.
 * 5) We must bring back the fundamental thrust of the Freedom Charter and the RDP on nationalisation of key and strategic industries.
 * 6) The state should take drastic steps on the redistribution of wealth, e.g. via the tax system.
 * 7) This decade must be dedicated to a struggle to challenge and defeat the dominance of white monopoly capital, which reproduces itself through the emerging parasitic black capitalists. We must consistently expose and struggle against the neo-liberal agenda of the state, which leads to the growing impoverishment of the working class and the poor.
 * 8) The National Liberation Movement as led by the ANC should speed up the process of reviewing the clauses affecting the working class in the national Constitution that could contribute towards a developmental state. The sunset clause entered into with the National Party should be reviewed.
 * 9) We should define in practical terms the political economy of the NDR in the current epoch as articulated in the Freedom Charter.
 * 10) We adopt an official position that rejects the separation of the NDR from socialism and asserts that the dictatorship of the proletariat is the only guarantee that there will be a transition from NDR to socialism.
 * 11) A popular movement towards socialism, located within a restructured Alliance and involving a range of mass movements, must be formed to assert the leadership of the working class in the NDR.
 * 12) To directly call for an open debate and discussion within the ANC (and the Alliance as a whole) on the relationship between the NDR and socialism. This debate must be accommodated at the 2007 ANC National conference.


 * Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson), Congress of South African Trade Unions**
 * 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets, Braamfontein, 2017**


 * Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24, Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667, Cell: 0828217456**
 * E-Mail: patrick@cosatu.org.za**

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