South Africa: COSATU and the ANC national conference and Zuma Incorporated starts to emerge

The briefing details the growing divide within the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the African National Congress (ANC), noting how ideological shifts and perceived betrayals by President Jacob Zuma have weakened the tripartite alliance. It highlights internal COSATU factionalism and the rise of rival unions like AMCU. Additionally, it reports on the 'Zumaville' project and other non-profit enterprises linked to President Zuma, which have drawn accusations of cronyism and influence trading.

• The strategic tripartite alliance between the ANC, COSATU, and the South African Communist Party (SACP) has faced significant deterioration due to ideological conflicts, particularly when President Thabo Mbeki replaced the pro-poor Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) with the more conservative Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy.
• Internal divisions within COSATU have intensified under President Jacob Zuma, with leadership split between pro-Zuma factions (including the president, Sdumo Dlamini, and NEHAWU) and critics like secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi, who argues that ANC struggles are increasingly about "control of the levels of accumulation".
• The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has suffered a loss of members to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) due to a perceived inability to represent worker interests amidst reduced production, mechanisation, and a nationalisation agenda that has deterred international investment.
• President Jacob Zuma faces criticism over 'Zumaville', a new town estimated to cost R2 billion, which is funded in part by an R800 million donation from the Department of Agriculture, including funds originally intended for the 'Zero Hunger' programme for subsistence farmers.
• Investigations by the Mail and Guardian have identified eight non-profit enterprises linked to President Zuma and his wives, raising concerns about 'influence trading' as many of these organisations have failed to submit annual reports and are linked to beneficiaries of large government tenders.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). South Africa: COSATU and the ANC national conference and Zuma Incorporated starts to emerge. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-cosatu-and-the-anc-national-conference-and-zuma-incorporated-starts-to-emerge

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. South Africa: COSATU and the ANC national conference and Zuma Incorporated starts to emerge. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-cosatu-and-the-anc-national-conference-and-zuma-incorporated-starts-to-emerge.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=South Africa: COSATU and the ANC national conference and Zuma Incorporated starts to emerge |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-cosatu-and-the-anc-national-conference-and-zuma-incorporated-starts-to-emerge |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndsouth, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{South Africa: COSATU and the ANC national conference and Zuma Incorporated starts to emerge}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-cosatu-and-the-anc-national-conference-and-zuma-incorporated-starts-to-emerge}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }