Volume 7 No 3 - April / May 1998
The Autumn Offensive, launched by Thabo Mbeki, Charles Nqakula and John Gomomo, is coming to an end. It is time to take stock of the failures and successes of the campaign. While many of our leaders took part in the campaign, some of us only paid lip service to it. We will need to pull together as a unit if we are to succeed in building an even stronger COSATU.
In one region, we had to go back to one factory to continuously sign up workers from that factory and its surroundings. In another region, we signed up 800 workers belonging to UWUSA in one factory in a day. While these are some of our achievements, there are also areas of disappointment. In one region, we started the campaign without affiliate involvement. In another one, our major affiliates have been absent in the campaign, hence we were not able to make major inroads in big factories, shops and mines. The worst was when we went to factories which were already organised or in closed shop arrangements.
We however take pride in the fact that the campaign gave us an opportunity to revive our structures and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation. This will serve as the foundation to further strengthen COSATU. We wish to urge all affiliate leadership to themselves undertake visits to their structures.
Since the beginning of March, three newspapers have run articles by John Appolis of CWIU, who calls into question our participation in the Alliance. He also calls on us to field COSATU candidates in the next elections if we are not satisfied with the ANC and to form a workers party in opposition to the SACP. I have no problem with him raising his views. On the other hand, he seems to think that he has a monopoly of wisdom over that of the 2500 delegates to the COSATU congress. I am sure that, just as we saw some trade unionists participate in the last elections, he knows that we will not stand in his way to take part in the elections. I however wish to make the following points.
The views raised by John and other delegates who held similar views were rejected by CWIU last year. Instead, CWIU supported the call for the continuation of the Alliance in pursuit of our agenda for social transformation. The same applies to his call for a workers party. Such a call was rejected by the COSATU 5th national congress.
The 6th national congress has already resolved that we will support the ANC, make resources available for the campaign and engage with the ANC on the content of the election platform. Our support is not conditional upon the ANC's acceptance of our proposals, since as Alliance partners we are agreed on the broad thrust of the NDR. That is what will inform the Alliance election platform.
COSATU entered the Alliance and remains in it, not for historical and sentimental reasons, but because we are convinced that the Alliance remains the main motive force for transformation and democratisation of our country. In unity with other progressive forces, such as the civics, students, youth, rural people, women and the landless, we stand a better chance to bring about a better life for our people.
It is for this reason that the 6th national congress agreed that the Alliance remains relevant. Unlike John, who is an independent socialist, those of us who are members of the ANC and the SACP know that the Alliance is not a holy cow and is subject to review from time to time, taking into account the prevailing objective conditions.
Two weeks ago, NUM agreed that comrade James Motlatsi should serve on the board of Anglogold. While I hold a specific view, I think that the debate should not be about whether on not he should have agreed to serve, but under what conditions, if any, should trade unionists sit on private sector boards. What we should avoid is the notion that trade unions remain militant simply because of their absence from company boards or sell-outs by their presence in company boards.
— Mbhazima Shilowa, Cosatu general secretary
I wish to air my views on the civil society’s participation in democratic processes as well as the delivery of basic needs. This is triggered by the unpatriotic thinking by many South Africans, including some of the comrades in our own structures.
The democratic process means people should interact with the state on popular programmes be it service delivery, economic policy formulation, education policy and implementation etc. In South Africa today we have a very problematic situation where many people are watching, some forming their own structures like Holomisa with the hope of fixing South Africa’s apartheid legacy like magic.
Cosatu is a classic example of an organised formation that does not wait to be invited but takes an initiative in intervening in processes that affect the lives not only of its members but South African citizens broadly. There has to be a continuous constructive engagement between the state and the civil society represented by trade unions, civics, churches, youth organisations, etc. This means we do not have to wait for something wrong to happen, then we stand up and shout. We have to move with the process systematically up to its finalisation stages. This at the same time poses a challenge to the representatives of the people in parliament to interact with the broad society to explain the internal processes in parliament.
To me this does not have to be very bureaucratic but flexibility on the part of the parliamentarians has to be exercised. For example, it should be possible for an ordinary person in the street to interact with a parliamentarian and ask him or her to visit his or her area (particularly rural comrades who stay far from town). In turn, the MP should not necessarily refer the poor soul to the constituency office. This clearly delays the democratic interaction. MPs have to be visible, even if it is not through a very formal way, just like we were doing during the people’s forums before the 1994 breakthrough. That way we will have informed citizens who are able to have an input into the processes that affect their lives. They will know the difficulties that face the democratic government rather than relying on the media that is so opposed to the National Democratic Revolution. Clearly ANC branches and Alliance partners must take a lead in this communication design.
The last part of my contribution deals with the reconstruction and development of our society. How on earth can we ensure that the state is aware of the problems that exist in Margate, in Mpame in Elliotdale, in Kwanyamazane in Mpumalanga? How can the state monitor delivery in those areas while we sit and watch as people in those areas? It is a dream that will never come true. One comrade in my ANC branch in convincing other comrades not to join the UDM says to the youth: don’t join this organisation. I nearly made the mistake of joining because I know Holomisa as a person but when all the puppets began to flood in, I said this is going to be the worst situation. His delivery is not going to be magic. Reality shows that we have to be on the move ourselves — apply for a clinic ourselves, open bank accounts for water projects, monitor utilisation of those funds ourselves, design solutions to our problems and interact with government ourselves.
Nothing can just happen as if one is dreaming — that is the reality.
Here is the point I want to drive home: Let’s take the destiny of our communities into our own hands. Let’s design projects that will create jobs in our areas, that will render our communities self-sufficient so that five years down the line when we want a school classroom we have the money in the bank account of our own that has come about because of a revenue generating project that we started on our own. That is the real freedom we fought for — designing our future and making the means to reach there.
Comrades in Cosatu, the SACP and the ANC have the primary task of formulating popular development programmes in their communities and using them as organisational tools to organise communities to effectively participate in ANC activities as we move towards this crucial period of the elections. This can be done by:
It does not need to be static but most of the deliberations of a general meeting must debate at least one issue and a decision taken in each general meeting towards achieving what the community wants on that issue. Clearly at this stage there has to be a lot of interaction with the government, especially at local level. This is where comrades share responsibilities like one or two comrades leading in the search for the realisation of a clinic in an area, the same with electricity, water, telephones, a large brickmaking project for the community which will employ people and render the community self-sufficient etc.
In this way we can really build our structures as well as making our communities participate in popular issues that affect them directly.
Forward to democratic civil society participation forward!
Long live the spirit of our fallen heroes long live!
Malizo Sinono, CWU KwaZulu Natal deputy provincial chairperson
The union is a group of workers, part of the working class in society who come together or unite, firstly in the workplace to protect themselves against super-exploitation by the capitalists. This is true in South African history, particularly since 1960. This is because of the effects of the banning of the liberation movements by the past regime.
Workers came together to pursue the broader objectives of the oppressed masses by joining, participating and sometimes giving direction to the broader working class movement. The broader objectives include vision, values and a programme of achieving socialism.
By vision we mean understanding that there is no separation between social, economic and political objectives by either of the three classes which form society, particularly the working class.
By values we mean social means of production for the benefit of the whole society.
By a programme we mean steps or actions needed to attain socialism.
The union helps workers and the working class in general to articulate the socio-political objectives which should lead to socialism. To attain socialism needs first and foremost the political will and desire.
A large union membership will mean a corresponding broad base within the workplace. However, if this large union membership is also actively involved in the socio-economic and political terrain, it many also mean easier ways of building socio-political units within and outside the workplace.
The more active and strong the union, the stronger its image and impact on the capitalists and the government. Both capitalists and government will not and does not usually respect a trade union or political party which does not have a clear programme and active constituency.
Socialism has not and will not be achieved by sloganeering or by being an armchair revolutionary or socialist. Socialism may be achieved in many ways, including:
We cannot support these job losses but go for the following:
Simple Khau, Numsa organiser Wits East
