South Africa is going left

Some people appear to be alarmed at the influence Cosatu and the SACP are exerting on the ANC. Both the labour federation and the communists have a vested interest in the ANC and by extension the running of the country. At the heart of the battle is the country’s macro-economic policy. Over the years the two organisations, which together with the ANC constitute the Tripartite Alliance, have complained about marginalisation during the era of Thabo Mbeki’s presidency.

Mbeki told the SACP plainly during the ANC policy conference before the Polokwane congress that the SACP should not delegate it’s goal of bringing about a socialist revolution to the ANC. In its congress resolutions and general meetings the SACP encourages it’s members to “swell the ranks of the ANC” in order to ensure that the ANC is influenced by the working class and not business interests. The ANC is said to be a broad church that represents civic leaders, business people, the working class, religious people, the poor and communists who were united by the objective of overthrowing apartheid and building a non-racial society. But the communists are the ones who are supposed to ensure that they give leadership and policy direction, and that is the reason they are encouraged to hold both the SACP and ANC membership, known as dual membership.

And now that apartheid has been defeated and there is no common enemy to fight a struggle has ensued within the ruling party and its allies for control of resources and to shape the economy of the country, which is largely owned by mostly white monopoly capital. Thabo Mbeki marginalised the two Tripartite Alliance partners, hence it was imperative to get rid of him and find a person who is malleable and whom the leaders of the working class could discuss policy issues with, and if need be instruct on what socio-economic policy the country should follow. The communist party’s aim is to lead the revolution for a socialist state and it needs a mass based organisation like the ANC to ensure it keeps its socialist agenda alive. Without the people behind them the SACP will be unpopular, and the ANC has the support of the majority of South Africans. It is not surprising that the current crop of SACP leaders do not see a socialist revolution ushered through the electoral platform but rather by swelling the ranks of the ANC. For this reason they have continuously sidestepped suggestions that the SACP must contest elections, and opted to emphasise the alliance with the Tripartite Alliance as paramount.

Those who are afraid of a left leaning ANC should brace themselves for more vigorous control of the ANC by the Cosatu and the SACP. The battle begun before Polokwane with the push for Jacob Zuma to become president and continues with the drive for Ebrahim Patel, the minister of economic development, to be given more powers and the attempts to subdue Trevor Manuel’s influence in president Zuma’s cabinet. Manuel is seen as one of the people who introduced the macro-economic policies that the communists and the labour federation leaders opposed. He is the last person they want to stand on their way as they assert their influence in government and shape government policy.

As things stand, it looks like Zuma is not willing to stand up to the communists and working class leaders like Mbeki did, and no one within the ANC dare challenge the left as they gain influence in the running of the country, appointment of ministers and the economy of the country. It remains to be seen how long Zuma will continue to give in to the leaders of the SACP and Cosatu before he tells them to back off.