The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has called the government of national unity (GNU) a “disaster for black people”, arguing that its complex nature will make it difficult to build a “black agenda” in SA, which is headed for a “disastrous future”.
The GNU, which includes the DA, GOOD, Patriotic Alliance, UDM, Rise Mzansi, Freedom Front Plus and PAC, was formed after the ANC lost its electoral majority in the May 29 election.
“With the history we have with liberal parties like the DA, it is highly likely that the country will head for a disastrous future, marked by political instability and the lack of a coherent political agenda,” Popcru president Thulani Ngwenya said on Tuesday, during the second day of the union’s five-day central executive committee meeting in Boksburg.
“The complex nature of this GNU will make it difficult to build a black agenda in SA. The government is likely to be reformist and consolidate the relations of settler-colonialism, white supremacy and racial capitalism,” he said.
Popcru represents 160,000 police, prison and traffic officers and the meeting is set to give direction on organisational, political, policy and socioeconomic issues.
Ngwenya said the GNU was seen as a pragmatic solution to political instability and a fractured electorate, but it raised concerns about the ideological compromises required to keep it functional.
“The inclusion of parties like the DA, which advocates for neoliberal economic policies, alongside the ANC, traditionally aligned with labour unions and socialist policies, presents significant challenges for the government in implementing coherent policies that serve both the wealthy elite and the working class,” he said.
“For trade unions and leftist movements, the coalition raises alarm about the potential erosion of worker protections and a continuation of austerity measures, further deepening inequality.”
The DA has already clashed with the ANC on several issues, including the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act and National Health Insurance, and geopolitical issues, including the war in Ukraine.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously said the GNU is working well and he would make it work to find a solution to the challenges SA faces.
Ngwenya said that under the GNU, the problems of inequality would continue: “This is because we are seeing the ANC partnering with the DA in a neoliberal alliance. This partnership is likely to end what is left of the ANC’s radical and leftist heritage, which has been implemented superficially since 1994. Due to the inertia of the racial disparities, this partnership between the ANC and the DA would be a disaster for black people.”
Ngwenya noted that the GNU would have implications for the tripartite alliance, which groups the ANC, Cosatu and SACP.
He said differences in policy priorities, strategic decisions and governance approaches among coalition partners “may strain alliance relationships, requiring ongoing dialogue and negotiation to resolve tensions”.
In his central executive committee address, Cosatu general secretary Solly Phetoe said Cosatu and SACP “have rejected the GNU. We have also rejected the claim that the GNU is the decision by the people of SA with their vote, instead characterising it as an intentional political decision of the ANC ruling elites, to coalesce a grand coalition with the DA, while bringing other smaller parties as mere appendages”.
“Cosatu central executive committee reaffirmed the rejection of the GNU. The federation’s central executive committee also noted an urgent need for discussing the class character of the GNU and to develop an action plan to respond to the GNU,” Phetoe said.
Ngwenya noted the meeting was taking place at a crucial juncture in SA’s history.
“One of the most pressing challenges facing us is our economy. Unemployment, particularly among the youth, is at staggering levels, hovering around 33%, with youth unemployment even higher.”
This reality, said Ngwenya, had forced countless people to confront the harshness of poverty and had aggravated inequality. “The dream of economic emancipation that we fought so hard for feels further away than ever for millions.”
The criminal justice cluster, in which Popcru organises, was grappling with violent crimes that had resulted in a sharp increase in murder, rape, armed robbery, assault and break-ins.
The sector is also dogged by a lack of resources and training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges, while many police stations lack the necessary equipment, vehicles and personnel to respond to emergencies and carry out thorough investigations.
“Furthermore, the legal system is often bogged down by inefficiency and outdated processes, leading to significant backlogs in court cases. This results in prolonged pretrial detention and delayed justice, which disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable,” Ngwenya said.
The central executive committee meeting ends on Friday.
Update: November 5 2024
This story includes comment from Cosatu
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