Mbeki: Opponents 'dreaming'

2003-09-15 23:55

Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki on Monday lashed out at opponents of the tripartite alliance, saying those who seek to cause division and weaken the organisation were dreaming.

"As we would expect, those who have something to gain from a divided alliance, have been speculating that the congress will focus on, among other things, driving a wedge between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu)," he said in a speech delivered on his behalf by ANC chair Mosiuoa Lekota in Johannesburg.

"For some strange reason, these forces always convince themselves that their wishes represent reality.

Because they want to see the ANC and Cosatu fighting each other, they convince themselves that they will make their dream come true, by launching a destructive war among ourselves," he said.

"Those who are fond of speculating about splits in our alliance seem incapable of understanding that we are united as ever. We would like to tell them continue dreaming."

Meanwhile Cosatu president Willy Madisha in his opening speech reaffirmed the labour federation's commitment to its alliance partners, the African National Congress and the SA Communist Party.

"We need the alliance as the historic bloc that brings together the progressive forces in our society, and as the only realistic way to mobilise our people for transformation," he said.

However Madisha said Cosatu had, in the past three years, seen deep tensions in the alliance over certain policy issues.

Referring to the ANC, he said the reaction of one alliance partner to workers' strikes in 2001 and 2002 for jobs and against the privatisation of state assets could only be described as venomous.

"I have never seen such a reaction. We saw attacks on individual leaders, ridiculing our demands and labelling our organisation."

Madisha said, however, workers, both Cosatu members and non-members, should be thanked for ensuring the alliance remained united and standing firm in protection of those who were vilified.

Regarding the forthcoming elections, he said: "The alliance's task is to ensure an overwhelming victory for the ANC, not just overall, but especially in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

"We cannot let apathy or disappointed expectations lead us to ignore the importance of the elections, which will undermine the very base of popular power in our country," he said.

Mbeki, who is also the ruling party's president, could not give a keynote address at the congress because he and Deputy President Jacob Zuma had to attend the Burundi peace talks in Tanzania, and are expected back in South Africa later on Monday.

Mbeki is scheduled to address the four-day congress on Tuesday along SA Communist Party secretary-general Blade Nzimande.

- SAPA