The Tripartite Alliance's workings are outdated and must be amended in order for it to regain its standing in society, Blade Nzimande said.
According to The Times on Tuesday, the South African Communist Party secretary addressed workers at the National Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) national conference in Boksburg on Monday. Nzimande reportedly questioned the ANC's ability to lead.
"Let's talk a bit more about the reconfiguration of this alliance. We have our view as the SACP that whilst the alliance remains both important and strategically relevant‚ its workings are outdated and must be changed to move with the times." said Nzimande.
Nzimande said a tendency had taken hold where decisions were taken in the ANC as if the alliance did not exist, and the rise of factionalism meant that alliance partners were not consulted on decisions.
"The style of work whereby certain leaders in the ANC or leading structures of the ANC alone take decisions on policy‚ legislation‚ regulations and key deployments as if there is no alliance will not hold the alliance together. The rise of factionalism and its entrenchment at all levels has resulted in a situation where there is no consultation on certain decisions even within the ANC‚ let alone consultation with other alliance partners‚" he said.
"The last Cabinet reshuffle glaringly exposed this weakness and there are other decisions taken even thereafter both at national and sub-national levels without consultation with the alliance. If we are an alliance we must work together and consult on all major policies‚ decisions and deployment concerning our revolution."