Cronin turns on Vavi

The SA Communist Party has joined its ally, the ANC, in condemning Cosatu for organising the civil society conference last month.

Writing in the party's newsletter Umsebenzi, SACP deputy general secretary Jeremy Cronin questioned Cosatu leader Zwelinzima Vavi's explanation on why the communist party and the ANC were not invited to take part in the conference.

Last month, Cosatu, together with a number of non-governmental organisations, held a conference in Johannesburg where government was criticised for not acting strongly to fight corruption.

During the civil society gathering, Vavi told delegates that despite the political achievements since 1994, the struggles of the people are unchanged.

Vavi said the trade union federation's tolerance levels about crime and lack of service delivery were running thin.

In his address to the civil society gathering, Vavi also took a swipe at black political parties and said most of them were riddled with divisions.

Yesterday, Cronin questioned Vavi's attack on black parties. He said by so doing he played into the hands of "right-wing liberals".

"This anti-politics politics, with its hint of Afro-pessimism - unintentionally, no doubt - plays straight into the hands of anti-majoritarian right-wing liberals - in fact, it represents their hegemony," Cronin said.

Last week, the ANC also lashed out at Cosatu and accused it of being "oppositionist" in its public comments at the gathering.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe went further, warning that Cosatu's actions might be viewed as an attempt of a "regime change".

Last night, Cosatu said it stood by what it said at the civil society conference.

Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said: "We are going to respond to the SACP but for now we stand by what we said at the conference."

The attack by Cronin and the ANC of the civil society conference is likely to take centre stage next week when Cosatu's central executive committee meets.

Vavi, who has been singled out by his alliance partners for his criticism, will have to gather support from other Cosatu affiliate leaders if he is to retain his political clout in the alliance.

Cronin said that while the union federation had to be challenged, the ANC and the alliance should also shoulder some of the blame.

"In particular, there is a compradorial and parasitic rent-seeking stratum within our movement, often linked to a demagogic populism that has little respect for legality or the constitution," Cronin said.

He went further and said: "We need to be very careful that we are not manipulated into someone else's agenda, particularly when that agenda is itself increasingly hegemonised by a much more right-wing, anti-majoritarian liberalism."