Correspondence with Cosatu

27 August 2001

Dear President Mbeki,

Re: Request for meeting with the COSATU leadership

We refer to the contents of the letter you wrote to the ANC Weekly on the 24 August 2001, we obviously do not agree with its assertions. In our view, the letter is based on one-sided information from government about the process of dicussions around restructuring the state. COSATU is also concerned that attacks from the government contained in both the cabinet statement and the media adverts over the weekend, questions the credibility of COSATU and its leadership and de-legitimise workers concerns around restructuring the state.

COSATU seek an opportunity to clarify some of the assertions made against the decision to embark on a national strike. Further, COSATU seek an opportunity to discuss a way forward out of the current impasse. In the current climate only a direct meeting will emerge with a lasting solution rather than trading accusations in public.

I trust this is in order and hope for your positive response.

Zwelinzima Vavi
General Secretary

28 August 2001

Dear Comrade General Secretary,

Thank you for your letter dated August 27, 2001 requesting that we meet with the COSATU leadership.

I agree fully that such a meeting or meetings should take place. I also agree fully with you that it is through discussion rather than trading accusations in public, or through other forms of hostile confrontation, that we will find solutions for whatever issues might be in contention between the ANC and COSATU.

However, I must note that the ANC has kept out of the public debate for many years, while everybody else seemed to find it perfectly legitimate publicly to attack the ANC on many issues.

You may remember that as early as 1997, President Mandela raised our concern about this manner of proceeding on the part of our allies, when he presented his Political Report at our 50th National Conference.

We repeated these concerns in 1998, not at a press conference but 'within the family', when I was privileged to speak at the opening of the meeting of the Central Committee of COSATU.

We had deliberately decided not to engage in any public wrangle not because we could not defend ourselves. We did this because we were conscious precisely of what you state correctly, that it is only through our direct meetings that we will resolve any contradictions that may arise between and among us.

The forces that have an historic responsibility to bring about fundamental social change in our country will not achieve this objective by behaving in a manner which, objectively, defines any of these forces as the principal obstacle to progress, against which, accordingly, venomous attacks must be directed.

I can assure you that no revolutionary advance can ever be achieved by launching a hostile offensive either against the ANC or COSATU. We should leave this task to the forces of reaction.

Nevertheless, in the end it becomes impossible for the ANC to remain silent while its positions are persistently being grossly misrepresented, and the movement itself projected as a traitor to the cause of the ordinary masses whose interests it has sought to protect and advance for almost nine decades.

In any case, we have an obligation to explain and account for our ideas and actions to our members, to the broad democratic movement and to the millions who have consistently expressed their full confidence in the ANC in all our democratic elections since 1994.

Because of the importance of the matter you raise, I have given a copy of your letter to our Secretary General, with the request that we do everything possible to ensure that we do indeed meet as soon as possible.

I am afraid the fundamental problem is much bigger than the simple matter of "information from government about the process of discussions around restructuring the state." If all of us respect the truth, the matter of correct and adequate information can be resolved quite easily.

As we have to deal with more fundamental issues, I trust that when we meet we will all be ready to confront these strategic issues frankly, honestly, in depth and as true comrades.

Amandla! Matla!