The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province convened its ordinary meeting of the Provincial Executive Committee on Tuesday and Wednesday, 14-15 March 2023 at the Ngwenya Hotel in Stilfontein.  The PEC received the organisational, political and socio-economic reports and engaged in frank and robust deliberations on those reports. 

On the State of the Organisation

The PEC made an intense and honest assessment of the state of the Federation in the province.  From that intense and honest assessment, the PEC came to conclude that the Federation in the province is not at its strongest due to several internal challenges which need to be confronted and addressed decisively.  Besides those challenges, the Federation in the province is on a positive trajectory to self-correct.  We cannot have a strong, militant and fighting Federation if we do not self-correct our internal weaknesses.

To that effect, the PEC is motivated and supports the programme of the provincial office bearers.  The Affiliates committed their support and cooperation towards this programme.

On the Public Sector Strike

The PEC noted developments in relation to the public sector strike as led by NEHAWU.  The PEC also noted the court outcomes and will monitor developments.  However, the PEC also noted the atmosphere around this strike and agreed that as COSATU unions we must treat the atmosphere with the sensitivity it deserves and not allow a wedge to be driven among us no matter what the circumstances.  The PEC further noted that the national leadership is dealing with some very sensitive matters and that as a province we must maintain our unity and allow the national leadership to deal with matters at that level.

On the National Day of Action

The meeting noted the decision by the Federation to have a National Day of Action on 29 March 2023.  The PEC then considered the state of the organisation in our province including the political situation currently in our province and decided to mandate the Provincial Campaigns Committee to thoroughly consider all factors that will ensure that we have a successful National Day of Action.

It is the conviction of the PEC that a COSATU National Day of Action seeks not to address matters directly affecting workers only but also includes matters that directly affect our communities with a special focus on our working-class communities.  Therefore, our National Day of Action should reflect that reality and must involve civil society.  Hence the decision for the Provincial Campaigns Committee to do thorough work.

On May Day

The meeting welcomed the mobilisation programme towards May Day and noted that the May Day celebrations will be held in Vryburg at Colridge stadium on the 1 May 2023. The PEC committed to ensuring that the province hosts a successful May Day rally.  The PEC considered the time between now and the May Day rally celebrations and committed to spare no efforts in delivering a successful May Day.  Our mobilisation work towards the May Day will involve our alliance partners and civil society including traditional leaders and faith-based leaders and organisations to ensure that it is inclusive of our communities as we are first community members then workers.

The PEC commits to making this provincial May Day a family oriented affair and encourages workers to bring their families to celebrate workers’ day and look at the victories of COSATU in the struggle of workers and the working-class.

On the Campaigns

The PEC noted the COSATU priority campaigns for 2023 and committed that as it self-corrects, it will equally reclaim its character of being a strong, militant and fighting Federation in the province.  We will ensure that our COSATU Locals are functional and visible on the ground through campaigns including campaigns on local issues that affect our communities.

We note the levels of service delivery in our communities, and we vow to persecute the struggle to improve these levels of service delivery and transform the socio-economic situation of our communities.

Political

The PEC noted the political situation and state of economy of our province and country and concluded that the political future in our province is uncertain.  The PEC, revisited the report of the September Commission on uncertainties and scenarios, compelled by our current political situation in the province where our leader of society is crippled by court cases on matters that should not have been before the courts.

On the Alliance

The PEC noted that the alliance in the province is at its weakest with a secretariat that is unable to develop a joint political programme to persecute the national democratic revolution and address the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequalities.

On the ANC

The PEC looked at developments within the ANC in the province and observed that the PEC of the ANC appears to be crippled by the matter currently in front of the North West high court as there are uncertainties on what will be the outcomes of such processes.  This process is also taking some of the attention of the PEC that was supposed to be spend on organisational work.

The PEC was also aware that as it engages on the ANC it speaks to and of itself.  Therefore, after noting all the challenges confronting the ANC in the province, the PEC resolved that we should reignite our resolution to swell the ranks of the ANC and have the Federation coordinate such a programme.  Despite the challenges facing us, the reality on the ground is that we need to protect our organisation from individuals that give it a bad reputation.

On the SACP

The PEC noted that the SACP in our province is at its weakest.  As organised workers we need to strengthen our vanguard Party by joining it.  We should not just join it but we should conduct education drives which highlight the importance of joining the Party.

We should be able to deepen the debate on the Party contesting state power and our point of departure should be the working-class and its readiness to contest state power.

Socio-Economic

The PEC noted the ailing state of the economy of our province which is worsened by uncertainty of energy supply, the rising cost of leaving and many other social challenges.

The PEC further noted that there are no manufacturing activities in the province and this leads to raw materials of the province processed outside the province.

The PEC called for the urgent convening of the alliance economic summit to assess the state of the economy in the province and develop a plan to resuscitate the economy of the province.

Issued by COSATU North West

For more information, please contact the COSATU North-West Provincial Secretary, Cde Kopano Konopi at 082 339 5836.