SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has criticised both the South African Communist Party and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party ahead of the planned “conference of the left”.
Vavi argued that the SACP has supported poor policy decisions by government over more than three decades of democratic rule, while also claiming the MK Party is not a genuine left-wing organisation despite its positioning.
He was speaking to Newsnote in Pretoria while participating in a march to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, where unions are demanding a bailout for the South African Post Office.
Vavi confirmed that SAFTU has been invited to the conference by the Economic Freedom Fighters, but said the federation is still deliberating whether to attend due to concerns about working alongside the SACP and MK Party.
“We are debating the invitation. We will likely convene a meeting of SAFTU’s political and ideological commission in the coming week to take a decision. We have not engaged with the leadership of the SACP and are observing developments from a distance,” he said.
Vavi expressed concern over what he described as the SACP’s track record, accusing the party of supporting policies such as privatisation, austerity, and budget cuts, which he said have negatively affected workers.
He also questioned what he described as the SACP’s recent anti-establishment stance, suggesting it contradicts its historical role in government.
Turning to the MK Party, Vavi was equally critical, rejecting its credentials as a left-wing movement and stating that SAFTU does not wish to be associated with it.
He further raised concerns about the broader composition of the planned conference and which organisations may be invited.
Vavi has a history with MK Party leader Jacob Zuma, having previously supported his rise to the ANC presidency and the national leadership in the mid-2000s—a decision he later publicly regretted.
The “conference of the left”, spearheaded by the EFF, is expected to bring together political and civic organisations aligned with leftist or progressive ideologies, although a date for the gathering has yet to be announced.