ANC Becoming Pariah … Again?

By Bert Wilkinson

Two non-governmental umbrella organisations are threatening to boycott a planned unity march on Saturday, if the African National Congress is allowed to participate.

The Social Movement Indaba and the Landless Peoples’ Organisation say they are uncomfortable with the ANC’s current conservative policies and a recent spate of anti-Third World voting at international fora including at the recent finance for development meeting in Monterrey, Mexico.

But the ANC obstacle is just one among several threatening to derail Saturday’s march.
Another major hindrance is the desire of several of the NGO groupings to maximise coverage of their issues. Several have proposed holding separate marches in the hope that each of their pet issues will get better media coverage.

The NGO International Steering Group (ISG) held an emergency meeting of three separate blocs last night at the Steve Biko Auditorium. The decision was: to hold another meeting today to decide what to do.

"We have to have a meeting of the minds to decide on the way forward," said ISG spokesman Gordon Bispham as he tried to calm tempers.

Details about the exact timing of the procession and where it would start were unclear up to press time, but it is scheduled to end at the Sandton Convention Centre where thousands of delegates and civil society activists have been debating a range of contentious issues including trade, finance and globalisation.

Bispham said there would have to be some form of compromise by all sides to achieve a unity march that would send a clear message to officials at Sandton.

"We are expecting several thousand people on Saturday in addition to many more that would come from NASREC. After all, we are talking about poverty eradication, landlessness and the living standards of union members," said Patrick Craven, spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, which is planning to take part in the protest.

Bispham said authorities have granted permission for two marches, one beginning at 8.am and the other at noon.