THE COSATU PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRATIC TRADITION AND SOUTH AFRICA'S NEW PARLIAMENT: ARE THEY RECONCILABLE?

Abstract

COSATU, The Congress of South African Trade Unions, has a participatory democratic tradition on the shopfloor that dates back to the emergence of some of its constituent unions in the 1970s. In fact, an ethic developed among members that the unions ought to be democratic. By 1994, when South Africa underwent a major political transformation and the African National Congress came to power with the support of COSATU, the question arose whether the new parliament would be reconcilable with COSATU's expectations of it. A random survey of 643 COSATU members shortly before the 1994 election established that COSATU had sustained its democratic shopfloor tradition and that its members expected the 20 union leaders it sent to parliament on an ANC ticket to be as accountable to them as their shop stewards are. Subsequent research found dissatisfaction with the ANC on account of unsatisfactory delivery and inadequate consultation, especially by the ministries. In response, COSATU has adopted a dual strategy of strengthening its representation in parliament by opening a Parliamentary Office and putting pressure on the government and organized business by engaging in mass action on selected issues. COSATU thus reconciled itself to parliament by combining new terrains of struggle. ON 27 APRIL 1994 SOUTH AFRICA began the most important political transformation in its history since the arrival of colonial settlers orl its shores in 1652. On that day the first ever election in the country based on universal adult franchise was held. Political power was placed in the hands of the previously disenfranchised African majority by sweeping the African National Congress (ANC) into government as the major party in the Government of National Unity (GNU). But what would this democratic political transformation entail for South Africa's black workers? Would the new parliament based on the interim constitution1 ensure accountability of the parliamentarians to the black working class majority in Johann Maree is a member of the Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town. 1. The interim constitution was negotiated during the rule of the National Party. Its aim was to ensure that the transition to democracy and governance under the new regime would take place constitutionally. It was agreed that the Government of National Unity would only govern for one term of office under the interim constitution during which time a new constitution would be negotiated. The interim constitution was replaced by the final constitution in 1996.