Mantashe leaves Cosatu congress over speaker order

African National Congress national chairperson Gwede Mantashe left the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ reconvened congress on October 12 after organisers declined his request to speak after the South African Communist Party. He forfeited his address, saying the established order among alliance partners should be respected. Cosatu’s programme scheduled the ANC to speak before the SACP and the South African National Civic Organisation. Mantashe objected and maintained that the ANC traditionally speaks after the SACP. Attempts by ANC Veterans League president Snuki Zikalala and Cosatu general secretary Solly Phetoe to persuade him to address delegates did not succeed. Mantashe said the order reflected the history of the alliance and should not be changed for convenience. He left the gathering without delivering the ANC’s message of support. Cosatu said the speaker sequence was not a last-minute arrangement and had also been used at its three previous national congresses. The federation said the ANC had not been barred from speaking, but chose not to address the congress after its request was rejected.