Durban — As the ANC pulled all the stops to mend its strained relations with its alliance partners, ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Siboniso Duma has called for unity between the long-time historic tripartite alliance partners.
The tripartite comprised the ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African National Civics Organisation (SANCO).
Duma’s plea for unity came during his Organisational Renewal Lecture, hosted by the ANC's eThekwini region—its largest region—on Sunday at the Pinetown Civic Centre.
“We are renewing the ANC by ensuring the branches are strong. In doing so, we also call for unity, especially from the alliance partners,” said Duma.
Addressing an audience that included figures from the SACP and Cosatu, Duma emphasised the need for a robust alliance.
His remarks come in the wake of a dismal electoral performance during the May 29 election, where the ANC's support in KZN plummeted from 54% to 17%, resulting in the loss of a majority it held with a tight grip since dislodging the IFP in 2004.
Said Duma: “We are here to talk about the renewal of the ANC and to make sure that we revive the branches of the ANC by making them stronger. We are here also to talk about what makes the ANC different from other parties and what has sustained the party for 30 years since democracy.”
The backdrop for Duma’s rallying cry stemmed from the strained relations between the ANC and its alliance parttners.
Recently, SANCO abruptly severed ties with the ANC in KZN, prompting urgent reconciliation efforts from the ANC’s leadership.
At the time, SANCO labelled its alliance with the ANC as “fake”.
Tensions have also escalated with the SACP, nationally and within the province, due partly to grievances over the ANC's collaborations with the DA in the Governing National Unity (GNU) and Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) in KZN.
The SACP has been vocally critical of these arrangements, leading to a meeting between senior ANC and SACP leaders at the party's headquarters in Luthuli House, Johannesburg, to address the discontent.
During the meeting, the SACP said it remained unhappy with the ANC’s continued relations with the DA under the banner of GNU.
The SACP's spokesperson, Alex Mashilo, said: "We had an alliance political briefing session where the SACP and COSATU briefed the leadership of the ANC about why we don’t like the DA. It is not just a matter of heart, it is a matter of material interest. There is a clash in the material interests. It is not even a matter of whether we are prepared to accept something or not. Every political struggle consists of contradictions. What we are prepared to do is to engage in the contradictions towards a solution to the problem.”
In response, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri reiterated the need for the historic alliance to function effectively for the benefit of the people. “We are intentional about making sure that this historic alliance works for the benefit of what we refer to as motive forces. This alliance must ensure that we deliver basic services to our people,” she said.
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