Cosatu, SACP may voice their views on Gordhan’s plight

As labour federation Cosatu and the SA Communist Party SACP will meet in their separate top leaderships indabas amid pronounced political differences in the tripartite alliance next week and this weekend, respectively, both these ANC left allies are bound to pronounce strongly on Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s political plight and what may have been his last Budget presentation.

Cosatu is to hold its central executive committee (CEC) meeting at its Johannesburg headquarters from Monday until Wednesday while SACP will start its ordinary central committee meeting this (Friday) until Sunday.

Gordhan is expected to be given the boot by President Jacob Zuma with either a redeployment elsewhere or a demotion to a mundane ministry in a highly anticipated Cabinet reshuffle. Former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe is waiting in the wings after he was controversially enlisted as an ANC MP in anticipation of a Cabinet appointment, most probably to either replace Gordhan or to become his deputy in anticipation of the bigger move.

Also read: Gordhan: It’s the president’s right to redeploy us 

Observers say Molefe could be parked in the finance portfolio committee – which could serve as a “waiting room” for his future elevation as the head of Treasurty. This view has been reinforced by the shifting of the committee’s senior member, Makhosi Khoza, to the public service and administration committee, thereby opening a vacancy that Molefe may occupy.

Against this background, the Cosatu CEC is expected to take strong positions on Gordhan’s Budget where it pertains to matters affecting the poor and the national minimum wage signed by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa recently.

Some within the trade union federation believe the minimum wage of R3 500 per month, or R20 per hour, is too little to address the plight of poverty-stricken workers.

Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla indicated that, in addition to organisational matters, the CEC, which is attended by the leaderships of the federation’s affiliates, will discuss political and socioeconomic issues as well as international issues affecting the workers and the working class.

Cosatu is expected to reiterate its choice for Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma both as ANC president in December and president of the republic in 2019. This position is being countered by the Zuma-backing so-called Premier League, as well the ANC’s youth and women’s leagues.

Also read: Molefe brings hope to toiling masses, says ANCYL 

The SACP will start its ordinary central committee plenary 3-day meeting this Friday to assess the party’s readiness for its 14th congress in July. The party is expected to reiterate its support for Gordhan and opposition to state capture allegedly involving the politically connected Gupta family.

The SACP has not yet finalised its choice for the ANC presidency between frontrunners Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, or neither of them. But the party is under pressure from some of its branches, such as Mpumalanga, to leave the ANC alliance and stand alone in future elections.

– ericn@citizen.co.za