ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe has described the action by Cosatu members who heckled him yesterday as “stage managed anger”.
“It’s stage managed anger... you can’t resolve that. You must listen to what they’re saying because the issue is to send a message. The anger is not anger, but stage managed. They were saying they want their [salary] increase and I’m not in the parliament council here.
“The government offers increases, not the ANC. The ANC doesn’t increase the wage of anybody. I’m a mineworker. I always fought with the chamber to death. This thing of negotiations that must be protected by the ANC in government is something that I don’t understand,” Mantashe told the media on the sidelines of the 14th National Cosatu Congress at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand yesterday.
Mantashe was publicly humiliated by workers before he could speak. He was meant to address more than 1,800 congress delegates but was booed off stage when workers refused to hear him out.
Initially, he seemed to join the workers in singing asinamali, but this only seemed to add fuel to the fire with delegates accusing him of being “arrogant” and the ANC of not taking them seriously.
Delegates were expecting President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the congress, however, Ramaphosa was in Orlando West, Soweto, for the 86th commemorative birthday celebrations of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
The National Treasury previously reneged on wage agreement increases for 2020, leaving public servants without any substantial wage increases since then.
Cosatu first deputy president Mike Shengangi later told delegates the leadership had sent a message to the ANC that Mantashe would not address the congress.
It remains unclear if the ANC will be afforded an opportunity to speak later on during the four-day congress.
Political analysts have cautioned the ANC, saying it should be very worried for a national executive member to receive a frosty reception.
Political analyst Dr Ralph Mathekga said Mantashe and the ANC were ridiculed in an environment that should have been welcoming and friendly.
“They should be worried. There’s no doubt about it. When one of their own ... and by that I mean a member of the tri-partite alliance... if one of their own is willing to ridicule them then it’s something else. It shows the party is now vulnerable and that Cosatu is willing to prey [on it]. The ANC was left looking weak,” Mathekga said.
Nelson Mandela University lecturer Ongama Mtimka said any other person sent by the ANC would have suffered the same fate as Mantashe, including Ramaphosa. “Even if it was Cyril, anyone who represented the ANC might have seen that seemingly spontaneous uproar.
“The rank and file of Cosatu see the ANC as part of the problems they’ve had as a union. I wouldn’t be surprised if out of the problem is the ANC government’s refusal to honour public sector wage increases. I wouldn’t read this to be a reflection on Mantashe but anger expressed that.
“The ANC should be worried about it because the mood of Cosatu has been crucial in terms of the ANC assessing its popularity among the working class. Cosatu has been a relentless backer of the party, almost giving party leaders a blank cheque despite constant failures of the ANC in responding to issues,” Mtimka said.
Meanwhile, Zingiswa Losi was nominated unopposed to serve a second term as Cosatu president. Losi met the threshold for nominations. First deputy president Mike Shingange was also nominated unopposed. Current deputy general-secretary Solly Phetoe was nominated unopposed to replace Bheki Ntshalintshali as general secretary.
Simon Hlungwani and Duncan Luvuno will face off for the second deputy president position, while Freda Oosthuizen was nominated treasurer.
While giving her opening remarks, Losi affirmed Cosatu’s support of the ANC ahead of the 2024 general elections.
“Workers sent a clear message to the ANC in the local elections. If the ANC does not get its act together, deliver quality public services, tackle corruption, fix Eskom, save Metrorail and Transnet, public rail, grow the economy, create jobs and provide relief for the unemployed; then we will face a repeat of the disastrous 2021 election results in 2024.
“This is something that workers cannot afford. Winning the 2024 elections is not about ensuring jobs for comrades in parliament. It is about defending the hard-won victories and rights of workers. We cannot afford to fail,” Losi said.
nkosin@sowetan.co.za
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