- Gwede Mntashe refused to address Cosatu delegates before the South African Communist Party, saying he would not abandon tradition for convenience.
- Cosatu delegates are expected to elect new leaders on Tuesday after an earlier congress collapsed over Mike Shingange’s disputed candidacy.
African National Congress (ANC) chairperson Gwede Mantashe walked out of a major trade union gathering on Monday after refusing to change the order of speakers.
Mantashe left the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) national congress in Kempton Park without delivering his message of support.
He was unhappy that organisers wanted him to speak before the South African Communist Party.
Mantashe insisted that the African National Congress traditionally delivers its message after the communist party.
He refused to change that tradition and gave up his chance to address thousands of delegates.
“The message is we do not distort the alliance for convenience. You do the right thing, whether it is painful or not. You don’t change it as you like. And one of the things that I will never do is to give up a principle for convenience,” Mantashe said.
His walkout angered delegates and added to tensions between the three organisations that make up the tripartite alliance.
Cosatu first deputy president Mike Shingange accused Mantashe of disrespecting the federation.
“We will remember this moment that once upon a time there was an ANC Chairperson who undermined COSATU,” Shingange said.
The drama came as Cosatu tried to get its 15th national congress back on track after the previous gathering collapsed in September.
That meeting fell apart following a bitter dispute over whether Shingange could stand for election as Cosatu president.
His union, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union, had suspended him.
The suspension raised questions about whether he was allowed to contest the federation’s top position.
Cosatu had earlier obtained a legal opinion clearing Shingange to stand.
But unions and delegates supporting him refused to hand over their credentials.
Without enough delegates officially registered, the congress could not continue.
It was the first time in Cosatu’s history that its national congress had failed to go ahead.
The federation met again on Monday, 12 October, despite a pending legal challenge.
Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi urged delegates to put their differences aside and focus on workers.
“What we cannot do is pretend like nothing has happened,” Losi said.
She called on members to stop putting personal interests and divisions ahead of the needs of the working class.
The federation is expected to elect its new leaders on Tuesday, 13 October.
But the latest clash involving Mantashe has brought fresh tension to a gathering already troubled by leadership battles.
