New party could challenge Cosatu in South Africa
Thématique :
sud afrique
Kea' Modimoeng, Sunday Times, 9 November 2008
Trade union stalwarts are moving out
The new political party dubbed "Shikota" is expected to give trade union federation Cosatu and other trade unions a tough time once its labour wing is formed.
The party has former Cosatu heavyweights on board such as Willie Madisha, a former Cosatu president and president of the SA Democratic Teachers Union; Mbhazima Shilowa, former general secretary of both the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union and Cosatu; and Moses Mayekiso, first general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa).
Madisha, one of the vocal leaders of the breakaway party, said: "The new party is not about destabilising Cosatu. I have been a leader of Cosatu for a decade and it is not my intention to destroy it.
"I am currently doing campaigns with other leaders, but I haven't been assigned the role of labour movement leader, and it is not for me to decide."
Lesiba Seshoka, spokesman for the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), said that the impact of the new party was minimal. "There has been no movement from NUM to the 'Shikota' party, but we have reports that Madisha went on to mobilise some of our members to join this party," Seshoka said.
"The NUM is a strong political school for other unions within the trade federation, and has graduated many big political names such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Gwede Mantashe and the country's president Kgalema Motlanthe.
''At some stage they were all general secretaries of the NUM."
Responding to the NUM's position, Madisha said that "campaigns have been happening everywhere regardless of target groups' political affiliations".
He denied knowing anything about leaders leaving Cosatu to join the new party, other than the resignation of the labour federation's chairperson in Limpopo, Willie Mokwalakwala, who sent him a text message via cellphone saying that he had resigned as a shop steward.
"It is also important to note that I have not only been a leader of Cosatu, but also a leader in other structures of the tripartite alliance," Madisha said.
"I have been a central committee member of the South African Communist Party and a branch chairperson of the ANC, so my role shouldn't be restricted to trade unions."
According to Mziwakhe Hlangani, spokesperson for Numsa, Mayekiso, who is joining the new party, is no longer part of Numsa.
"He was the founding general secretary and played an important role in its formation. He led Numsa during the most difficult time when it was still the Metalworkers union."
Although the Numsa conference room in Johannesburg was named after him, a decision was taken by Numsa's executive last week to change the name in line with Cosatu's position that its unions should not be seen adopting the name of a "sell-out" - a reference to the new party.
"Numsa will involve its members in coming up with a new name, but in the meantime there is a black cloth around the Numsa building, also named after Mayekiso. Black symbolises that the union is mourning his departure from the ANC."
Mayekiso said: "When Numsa named the building after me, it was an accolade to the collective leadership of my era, and I made this clear when I received the honour.
"Although they can remove my name, they cannot erase the rich history of the past leadership, and this just shows the political intolerance in the tripartite alliance."
Mayekiso, who is ready to work in the new party's labour wing, also slammed Cosatu's general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi for not concentrating on issues of the workers and "this shows that Cosatu has abandoned its mandate".
Former Sedibeng mayor and the South African National Civic Organisation president Mlungisi Hlongwane is among the senior officials who have left the ANC for the new party.
The resignations have spread to student movements, with the South African Students Congress noting that its former secretary general, Nqaba Bhanga, will be joining the breakaway party.
Cosatu national spokesman Patrick Craven said that Madisha's statements were contradictory.
"Madisha said that he will be forming a new labour movement. This just shows that their aim is to divide and disrupt the trade union movement. In the short term, they can really do great damage to Cosatu, but not in the long term," Craven said.
Trade union stalwarts are moving out
The new political party dubbed "Shikota" is expected to give trade union federation Cosatu and other trade unions a tough time once its labour wing is formed.
The party has former Cosatu heavyweights on board such as Willie Madisha, a former Cosatu president and president of the SA Democratic Teachers Union; Mbhazima Shilowa, former general secretary of both the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union and Cosatu; and Moses Mayekiso, first general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa).
Madisha, one of the vocal leaders of the breakaway party, said: "The new party is not about destabilising Cosatu. I have been a leader of Cosatu for a decade and it is not my intention to destroy it.
"I am currently doing campaigns with other leaders, but I haven't been assigned the role of labour movement leader, and it is not for me to decide."
Lesiba Seshoka, spokesman for the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), said that the impact of the new party was minimal. "There has been no movement from NUM to the 'Shikota' party, but we have reports that Madisha went on to mobilise some of our members to join this party," Seshoka said.
"The NUM is a strong political school for other unions within the trade federation, and has graduated many big political names such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Gwede Mantashe and the country's president Kgalema Motlanthe.
''At some stage they were all general secretaries of the NUM."
Responding to the NUM's position, Madisha said that "campaigns have been happening everywhere regardless of target groups' political affiliations".
He denied knowing anything about leaders leaving Cosatu to join the new party, other than the resignation of the labour federation's chairperson in Limpopo, Willie Mokwalakwala, who sent him a text message via cellphone saying that he had resigned as a shop steward.
"It is also important to note that I have not only been a leader of Cosatu, but also a leader in other structures of the tripartite alliance," Madisha said.
"I have been a central committee member of the South African Communist Party and a branch chairperson of the ANC, so my role shouldn't be restricted to trade unions."
According to Mziwakhe Hlangani, spokesperson for Numsa, Mayekiso, who is joining the new party, is no longer part of Numsa.
"He was the founding general secretary and played an important role in its formation. He led Numsa during the most difficult time when it was still the Metalworkers union."
Although the Numsa conference room in Johannesburg was named after him, a decision was taken by Numsa's executive last week to change the name in line with Cosatu's position that its unions should not be seen adopting the name of a "sell-out" - a reference to the new party.
"Numsa will involve its members in coming up with a new name, but in the meantime there is a black cloth around the Numsa building, also named after Mayekiso. Black symbolises that the union is mourning his departure from the ANC."
Mayekiso said: "When Numsa named the building after me, it was an accolade to the collective leadership of my era, and I made this clear when I received the honour.
"Although they can remove my name, they cannot erase the rich history of the past leadership, and this just shows the political intolerance in the tripartite alliance."
Mayekiso, who is ready to work in the new party's labour wing, also slammed Cosatu's general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi for not concentrating on issues of the workers and "this shows that Cosatu has abandoned its mandate".
Former Sedibeng mayor and the South African National Civic Organisation president Mlungisi Hlongwane is among the senior officials who have left the ANC for the new party.
The resignations have spread to student movements, with the South African Students Congress noting that its former secretary general, Nqaba Bhanga, will be joining the breakaway party.
Cosatu national spokesman Patrick Craven said that Madisha's statements were contradictory.
"Madisha said that he will be forming a new labour movement. This just shows that their aim is to divide and disrupt the trade union movement. In the short term, they can really do great damage to Cosatu, but not in the long term," Craven said.
