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Thread: Cronin's comments on alliance split

  1. #1
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
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    Cronin's comments on alliance split

    The M&G is running a story with Jeremy Cronin's comments on the alliance and splitting (well in his view not splitting).

    What I find the most interesting are his comments on Jacob Zuma, such as

    --
    Cronin said calls for the party to "go it alone" and split from the tripartite alliance were linked to dissatisfaction and irritation with the ruling ANC.

    This is also the reason many communists, and particularly young communists, are supporting former deputy president Jacob Zuma.
    --
    South Africans need to try and understand this "sea of grievance", and why it has attracted, around Zuma, a "populist and ... demagogic mobilisation".
    --
    Talk of a split is linked to a "general climate of irritation that is prevailing, which links also to the Zuma mobilisation".

    "I think this 'we're going to go it alone' is linked to that irritation with the ANC. Some of the irritation is completely legitimate, in my view, but I think it's grasping at the wrong resolutions.
    --
    "But ... we're not supporting him as a candidate for presidency. We're deeply concerned about some of the things that have been said by him, or by his supporters and so forth.

    "But it's no secret that many communists, and particularly lots of young communists, are supporting Zuma. Not just in some broad, general humane kind of way, but politically and presidentially. I think it's wrong.
    Read the full article so that these extracts aren't taken out of context.
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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    All said and done, Jeremy Cronin sounds like quite an interesting communist. Some refreshing honesty. He basically concedes it would be detrimental to the SACP to try and go it alone, but saying they won't split the alliance in the interests of the country is painting it a bit thick.

    Given the above, I'm not sure why he feels the SACP and ANC draw supporters from exactly the same pool.
    "The problem is our core constituencies are exactly the same,"
    I would think preventing a two thirds majority for the ANC would be in the interests of the country (if their leaving could achieve this). That two thirds majority is a tad risky, especially in view of the centralisation of the ANC that has taken place and the alleged marginalisation of alliance partners.

    Interesting times.

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    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Alcock
    He basically concedes it would be detrimental to the SACP to try and go it alone, but saying they won't split the alliance in the interests of the country is painting it a bit thick.
    Even though there are obvious political reasons to stick to the alliance, reading his comments with different glasses may be interesting.

    If we consider the strong support that Zuma has (even if not in numbers at least strong in expression) and were to postulate that each grouping within the ANC may be able to muster such strong and vocal support, then what would the outcome be of an alliance split?

    We would have three major parties, the ANC, SACP and COSATU, each with their own vehement supporters. Now the constituency may be common in that each party (in their own way) represent the black majority (whether in ideaology or just historically). I'd say the SACP and COSATU's views are not that far from each other and they could team up.

    So this brings us to the ANC vs. COSATU/SACP. Where does that leave the country? Torn between two parties that each claim to be representative of the "common man" - the one the common working man, the one the common black man (obviously this is a broad generalisation to make a point).

    Now in SA the reality is that the common working man = the common black man.

    How violent could this opposition become? (based on what we've seen from Zuma supporters, murders of ANC councillors in KZN etc. etc.)

    Yes I agree that the ANC not having 66% is probably good, but what would the cost of this particular action be? I would hope that we've reached a mature enough stage in our country that things would go well and an alliance split would push us forward (and hold politicians accountable), but we may not be there yet.
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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    An exceptionally thought provoking post, Duncan.

    I'm not sure that a COSATU/SACP alliance could pose much of a threat to the ANC at the polls - I'm not even sure they could beat the DA out of official opposition. That thought is based on the fact that far from all workers are unionised, the ANC is the recognised political entity, and that strikes have not been as broadly supported as in the past.

    But the potential challenges posed by "vehement supporters" certainly is a sobering prospect.

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