Tripartite Alliance partners can still find each other: Analyst

Despite fears that tensions in the Tripartite Alliance could mark the beginning of the end of the historical pact, political analysts believe the alliance can still be saved.

Analyst also believe that ANC, COSATU and SACP pact will be tested at next month’s municipal polls.

Tension among the alliance partners surfaced at the COSATU national congress earlier this week.

ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe walked out of the congress, protesting against the ANC being billed to speak before the SACP and SANCO.

He insisted on speaking at the end, saying it’s in keeping with the alliance’s traditions.

But newly elected COSATU President Mike Shingange has warned the ANC and the SACP that the federation will actively lead the alliance, rather than follow passively.

The election pact between the ANC, COSATU and the SACP, that has lasted for over three decades, is seemingly on the rocks.

Their political dissent stems from the lack of the reconfiguration of the alliance.

And this among other things, has prompted the SACP to field its own candidates in next month’s local government elections.

But it seems some alliance leaders are frustrated.

Even speaking first or last at each other’s gatherings, also became a bone of contention.

Earlier this week, the high-level ANC delegation led by party National Chair, Gwede Mantashe, failed to deliver its message of support to the COSATU national congress, after insisting on speaking last.

“The message is, you don’t distort the alliance for convenience. You never distort their lives 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. I don’t do that as a person.”

Newly elected COSATU President, Mike Shingange, promised workers that the trade union federation would lead the alliance, in the absence of a leader.

“A way for COSATU actually is become the leader of the alliance. However, in leadership, you don’t declare it is earned and when one of us, as the alliance partners, did not know what will happen tomorrow, and did not know how to bring ourselves together. We will be here. Now we are leading. We will be above you. We will be watching all of you, and we will call you to one house and engage with you. That’s what you decided here.”

Political pundits say although the ongoing tension could mark the beginning of the end of the traditional pact, COSATU can play a mediatory role to save the alliance.

Politics Lecturer at Wits University, Dr Tshepang Molale says, “We are beginning to see perhaps the beginning of the end of this holy matrimony. However, when you look at the resolution now at the recent COSATU Congress, you’re seeing a more of a reconciliatory posture to say let us not jump the gun. Already, SACP has pronounced that they are going to contest elections, but you see now this new Congress of COSATU. They are saying, okay, maybe let’s let us go back to the drawing board. Let us go back to the negotiation table. So, I am hopefully then this reconciliatory stance, and as a way of trying to call them back, the ANC would have to, or maybe to compromise  and then maybe offer some representation to their alliance partners as a way of trying to bring back this matrimony.”

However, Molale says these partners can still find each other, as there is not much that sets them apart.

Molale adds, “I really don’t think it’s too late. All it takes is compromises and negotiation. And in politics, there are no long-term enemies and there are no long-term friends. And I believe that if, at all, SACP leaders and the ANC, as well, of course, being heralded or facilitated by the COSATU, we might find ways where or areas where they could reach compromises.”

With two alliance partners contesting the elections separately, the ANC has since conceded that this could be its worst performance at the polls since 1994.

In the 2021 local elections, the ANC received 46% of the vote.

And there’s concern that things could get worse, with a record 526 parties standing against the ANC in these elections, and with the SACP not backing it.