The second day of Cosatu’s four-day national congress had not yet begun by late Tuesday due to procedural stalemates and factional disputes surrounding delegates’ credentials and leadership suspensions.
The delay centred around Cosatu first deputy president Mike Shingange.
Based on the support from the conference floor, Shingange looked to be a serious contender to lead the labour federation as president.
Shingange took his fight to lead Cosatu to the labour court after he was suspended for allegedly defying his union — the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) — over his presidential bid.
Shingange was suspended by Nehawu at the weekend after allegedly defying the union’s instruction not to sign a nomination form.
Shingange, who is running for Cosatu president, approached the labour court for relief and the matter was heard on Tuesday.
This comes as the start of Cosatu’s national elective congress was delayed on Monday following a heated debate among delegates over who was in the room.
Delegates refused to budge until the correct credentials were tabled, declaring that the conference could not begin.
Some affiliated unions, including the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), flatly refused to hand over their lists of delegates attending the conference, demanding that the congress first clarify Shingange’s status.
The Cosatu affiliates that appeared to be supporting Shingange’s bid for the presidency include the South African Municipal Workers Union, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union, finance union Sasbo and NUM.
NUM has also been stepping up its opposition to Eskom’s restructuring plans, with its central executive committee resolving in August to litigate against the utility in the Constitutional Court if necessary and to embark on a strike in the mining and energy sectors in which it organises.
Escalating tensions over SA’s energy reforms spilt into organised labour’s ranks following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s endorsement of the Eskom Restructuring Task Team report.
Speaking on behalf of Cosatu alongside affiliate leaders from NUM, Shingange firmly rejected the government’s trajectory, reinforcing organised labour’s zero-tolerance stance on splitting up the state utility.
The union argues that privatisation would threaten job security, drive up electricity costs and undermine SA’s energy sovereignty.
NUM stated that electricity was a strategic national asset and that the government must halt all steps toward market liberalisation “until a comprehensive social pact is reached with labour and key stakeholders”.
NUM and Shingange’s union, Nehawu, were among the Cosatu affiliates that called on the labour federation to dump the ANC and support the South African Communist Party in the upcoming municipal elections on November 4.
Speaking to Business Day on the sidelines of Cosatu’s congress, SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila called for militant worker resistance against fiscal austerity, wage freezes and structural market reforms.
ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe earlier urged patience and maintained a non-interventionist stance towards Cosatu’s internal leadership disputes.
The atmosphere at Midrand’s Gallagher Convention Centre over the last two days shifted between high-energy working-class pageantry and intense, choir-led political showdowns.
More than 1,800 delegates packed the main plenary hall in an iconic sea of red Cosatu T-shirts, carrying heavy union banners from all affiliates.
Before proceedings ground to a halt over credentials, the hall reverberated with revolutionary struggle songs and toyi-toyiing, traditionally used to project union solidarity. — Business Day