The SACP and Cosatu say they were unsurprised by the move of the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in KwaZulu-Natal to sever ties with the ANC in the province saying the action demonstrated the growing frustration among alliance partners.
Sanco said its decision came as it felt it had been undermined. Both the SACP and Cosatu in KZN said this view was also held by their members especially as no meeting of alliance partners had been held since the elections.
Sanco’s secretary Sizwe Cele at the weekend penned a letter to ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo, informing him that the alliance in the province, which includes the SACP and Cosatu, “is dysfunctional, thus non-existent” and it was cutting ties with the party with immediate effect.
“The PEC (provincial executive committee) of Sanco deliberated on this dysfunctional relationship with the ANC KZN which the PEC deemed to be (a) one-sided and fake political relationship which continues to prove that indeed the ANC in KZN is led by arrogant and factional leaders, who are happy to see the Alliance dying in their hands,” Cele said.
He said the ANC in the province had done nothing “to signal that it has intentions to get the Alliance working again” and instead it had strained the relationship even further.
“This is proven by the fact that, as we are approaching the end of the year, there has never been any Alliance meeting nor bilateral meeting with yourselves that has taken place this year.”
Sanco provincial chairperson Lawrence Dube said the organisation was frustrated with how the ANC, the alliance leader in the province had dealt with its role before and after the May 29 national and general elections.
Dube said the ANC’s “big brother attitude”, especially when it made the decision to enter into a government of provincial unity with the DA and IFP, without consulting the alliance, had led to increased frustration.
“The ANC in KZN treats its alliance partners as if it is their step child but Sanco, the SACP and Cosatu are independent organisations that have decided to work with the ANC because of the common ground that we have.
“We are all equal organisations in the alliance.”
ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said Sanco’s decision to cut ties with the party had “nothing to do with the interest of the people” but was linked to ambitions of its leaders.
“The problem started after the provincial list conference (before the May 29 election) where the provincial secretary of Sanco (Cele) insisted that we take him from where the branches put him, and put him right on top of the list. The provincial secretary did not get the required votes at the list conference. He then asked the ANC in the province to speak to President (Cyril) Ramaphosa so that he could be appointed to cabinet and we said that that is an unprincipled stance, because Sanco exists at a national level.”
Dube said the accusations that Cele was fighting for positions was “a ridiculous notion” as there was a government of provincial unity and government of national unity and people had already been deployed.
Cosatu’s provincial secretary Edwin Mkhize said the ANC’s alliance partners had expressed their frustration with the state of the alliance at a conference in July.
“The ANC leadership must answer whether it still needs the SACP, Cosatu or Sanco as their alliance partners.
“Our observation is that the ANC, the leader of this alliance, disregarded and abandoned the principles under which the alliance has operated when it formed now new alliances in the provincial government.
“We should have all been taken on board as to the strategy behind these coalitions but in KZN the consultation with the alliance was disregarded and we feel betrayed about that.”
SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu said Sanco’s decision echoed the state of affairs of the alliance in the province.
“There has never been an alliance interaction or meeting with the ANC since the election yet there have been very profound developments that have taken place within the politics of the province.
“This has been a critical bone of contention.”