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Cosatu needs to refocus its energies
Kuthula Mathsazi
November 12, 2004

Read this article on The Daily Mirror website, Read the response from Itai Zimunya

It is worried about the economic situation which it feels causes uncertainty in South Africa and the entire southern African region. Zimbabwe is South Africa’s major trading partner in the region.

In October Cosatu tried to make hasty attempts to bring its "fact-finding mission" in Zimbabwe even if the government refused it permission. It nevertheless came but was asked to leave by the Zimbabwean government who transported it to our border with South Africa.

Cosatu had been advised in advance to plan its trip through the Joint Tripartite Commission (JTC), a body believed to have been formed by the two countries’ governments and labour and business bodies to deal with the "political dimension of labour in Zimbabwe". The governing African National Congress (ANC) party of President Thabo Mbeki has issued a statement condemning Cosatu’s actions.

Cosatu wanted the Zimbabwe government to facilitate a meeting for itself with other civic and political actors in the country, which according to the government and ANC, was outside the agreed framework of JTC.

However, Cosatu denies the existence of such a structure, but insinuates the existence of an
initiative along those lines.

If there is no structure or any standing arrangement for engaging each other, on what basis was Cosatu arrogantly undertaking the mission? Why did Cosatu not proactively make public its intentions to Zimbabweans before proceeding with such an initiative so that we could express our thoughts?

Cosatu should know that Zimbabwe is in this mess because of giving land back to its rightful owners and in the process thwarting Western neo-liberal capitalists’ intentions of further entrenching ownership of the means of production.

It is also important to note that we are in the processing of claiming more significant stakes in other sectors of the economy to make it more reflective of the Zimbabwean spirit.

Cosatu must not fight us but the neo-liberals because if they get their (neo-liberals’) way they will do to Zimbabwe what they have done to South Africa under the watch of Cosatu – take over state assets and then throw people out of employment.

More Black South African workers are losing their jobs to the neo-liberal process while the number of those sinking into poverty continues to rise. Wage gaps are increasing – all this under a charged Cosatu, so determined to solve other states’ (not trade unions’) problems. To turn their attention to Zimbabwe is a ploy to divert attention away from its failings in stopping the neo-liberal project. Or put in another way, it is colluding with neo-liberals.

The collusion is ironic because the neo-liberal agenda, by its very nature antagonises and seeks to weaken and exploit workers.

Interestingly, while neo-liberalism in South Africa is gaining ascendancy, Cosatu is diminishing and instead diverting its attention elsewhere where they aim to make a bit of noise pretending they are a potent force.

If Cosatu is really worried about solving the Zimbabwean situation, we could give it the task of calling at No.10 Downing Street, the official residence of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to ask him and the United States to honour their pledge of funding the land reform, as agreed under the Lancaster House Agreement.

Admittedly, Zimbabweans do not yet have a common basis of discussing and solving this British mess. Several other countries, bodies and individuals have also tried to help/meddle without success.

Why does Cosatu, with its Big Brother attitude, think it could succeed? It should save its aggression for the neo-liberals who are intensifying the suffering of Black South Africans.

The Western agenda of trying to expand the coalition network against Zimbabwe will never succeed. The problem is that it is based on propaganda and malicious intentions.

If it were based on facts and well-meaning intentions, then its chances of success would be enhanced. Dr Joshua Nkomo said whatever gets into the way of Zimbabweans’ aspirations in our quest to achieve national goals would be demolished. Even Cosatu!

It is strange that Cosatu evokes comparison between Zimbabwe and the apartheid system. It says: "Apartheid South Africa would not have been brought down in 1994 purely through diplomatic pressure."

Whom does it want to bring down now? And after that who would be next? In fact, it boast of having helped Nigeria. It would be advisable for it to go back and realise how the oil companies there are polluting the environment and exploiting workers. It’s a scandal Cosatu might want to look at seriously.

Cosatu wants to play the vacuum game by pretending it is not answerable to anyone but itself.

Well, typical of a self-serving agenda. We all live relative to other people and have to practice our democracy relative to those other people around us.

Specifically, Cosatu should consider and respect our democratic rights and our right to act at our own free will. Is that not the same reason for which the US is loathed around the world – trying to impose its will and muscling its way through everything?

What will Cosatu do to those people who want to see their business progress normally during the border sabotage they plan to hold in early December?

Is it definite that its actions are supported by a majority of its members? If so, is the information that it told its members correct?

Right now about 100 000 people in Iraq are dying and continue to be killed as you read this article, because of a war that was executed on false information meant to serve President Bush and his neo-conservative agenda.

Maybe Cosatu does not get it, the core of all the problems in Zimbabwe is land.

Until it understands this point, it will also join the rest of the tale-spinning anti-Zimbabwe coalition that thinks it can easily solve the "Zimbabwe problem".

Kuthula Mathsazi can be contacted at kuthulamatshazi@yahoo.co.uk

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