Day two of Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (COSATU) 15th National Congress gets under way under the shadow of fresh tensions within the governing alliance.
More than 1 800 delegates from 16 affiliates are gathered in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng Province, to elect new leadership and chart the federation’s future after last month’s congress collapsed amid internal divisions.
But Monday’s proceedings were overshadowed by African National Congress (ANC) National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe’s dramatic walkout after he refused to address delegates before the SA Communist Party (SACP), insisting that alliance tradition dictates that the ANC speaks last.
The incident has exposed widening strains within the alliance, particularly as the SACP prepares to contest next month’s local government elections independently of the ANC.
–ChannelAfrica–
