Cosatu 'unable to influence ANC' during GNU consultation talks

Cosatu has not been able to influence the ANC during power-sharing talks with its partners in the government of national unity (GNU) before President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet announcement, it says.

The union federation said the snub from its alliance partner the ANC is not unusual. 

Cosatu national officials briefed media after their central executive committee (CEC) meeting at the weekend to reflect on the standing of workers, the planning of a national day of action and the GNU.

“We have always maintained we are an alliance of three independent components — Cosatu, the SACP and ANC. We are within our rights or reserve our rights to take decisions the best way we see fit, even if it is to the disagreement of our alliance partner,” said first deputy president Mike Shingange.

“Given the pressure the ANC is going through, perhaps this became the safest way for them to go into their own internal national executive committee (NEC) and independently take decisions as they see fit. They have other political parties to contend with,” he said.

The alliance was briefed by the ANC during its secretariat meeting before the last NEC.

“We indicated our view, which is to form a minority government. A follow-up meeting was to take place; it did not take place until the NEC met and pronounced on a GNU,” Shingange said. 

“We want to separate being briefed and being consulted, understanding that even when you are consulted it doesn't mean your views must be taken into consideration — but at least we are asked for our view.

“We have to continue to indicate that which we are against, while accepting the DA will be in the GNU. After that, when the statement of intent was engaged with political parties, there was an alliance political council meeting which we attended. We were briefed.”

Ultimately it is political parties that need to find one another, taking into consideration what the voters have said. Cosatu has expressed dissent with the DA's economic policy, calling it a regression of workers' rights and reversal of transformation.

“We could not scream more than that, except indicating our opposition to allowing the DA to play the music and call the tunes. Unlike the previous election, which resulted in a stable environment, things are now different and they are moving fast. 

“After these elections we are in a terrain we are not familiar with. There are so many political parties who went into the elections, none of them have received a majority to form government alone.”

Shingange said a way forward needed to be found among political parties as coalition talks draw to a close before the formation of cabinet.

“We have played our part, we have contributed and campaigned rigorously for the ANC. We have never campaigned this hard before, like we did this time around. 

“We were in opposition, particularly of a grand coalition between the ANC and the DA. We knew once they agree on a GNU there is no way the DA will be excluded because the invite is extended to almost everyone who wants to participate.”

The three-day CEC resolved that it expects the seventh administration to move with speed to stimulate the economy to create jobs, abandon austerity measures and halt retrenchments.

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