MIDRAND, Gauteng — The COSATU 15th national congress is teetering on the edge of collapse amid intense credential disputes and internal factionalism. However, South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary Solly Mapaila has firmly defended the unfolding events, characterizing the delays not as a procedural failure, but as a vital and necessary exercise of internal worker democracy.
The high-stakes gathering in Midrand has faced significant delays as delegates raise sharp concerns, including disputes over union credentials. Mapaila, who attended the congress to deliver the SACP’s message and encourage the federation to back the Communist Party’s decision to contest elections, argued that the current friction should not be viewed as a distraction. Instead, he described it as workers sharpening their internal worker democracy, which he characterized as “pluritarian democracy,” in response to the brutal realities of a capitalist system threatening their livelihoods.
According to Mapaila, this rigorous debate allows workers to elevate the progressive content of democracy, harnessing their unity to defend their class interests rather than the interests of capital. While acknowledging that the congress is on the verge of collapse, he expressed strong confidence that the leadership will find common ground. He noted that affiliates have already undergone months of intense debate and hold clear, pre-agreed positions within their resolution packs, meaning the federation has the tools to save itself and proceed in whatever context the central executive committee deems necessary.
Addressing the tipping point of the crisis, Mapaila pointed to the weekend suspension of Mike Shingange, a prominent figure currently running for the position of COSATU president. It is public knowledge that Shingange favors COSATU aligning itself with the SACP, a stance that has visibly fueled the current tensions.
Mapaila praised Shingange’s steadfast working-class orientation and his historical representation of the federation, noting that Shingang himself would not want to see the congress collapse. The procedural flashpoint occurred when the second deputy president chaired the session instead of the president. Although Shingange clarified to the congress that this arrangement was not mischievous and leadership showed flexibility on the matter, delegates rejected the explanation, leading to the current impasse.
Mapaila issued a stark warning regarding the underlying motivations for the suspension. He stated that if Shingange is being targeted simply for being a member of the Communist Party, it represents a “reactionary” move. He emphasized that the SACP was the first organization banned by the apartheid regime, and the party will not allow communists or its members to be banned from within the very liberation movement they helped build.
As of the latest developments, the situation remains unresolved. The central executive committee, alongside the presidents and secretaries of affiliated unions, has been locked in ongoing meetings for over five hours in an attempt to find a way forward. In the interim, delegates have been instructed by their affiliate unions to return to their hotels and reconvene the following morning. The future of the 15th national congress now hangs in the balance, awaiting a decisive resolution to avert a total collapse.
