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Cape Town - Cosatu will "demand" that labour is well represented among the 20 commissioners who will be appointed to sit on the National Planning Commission, said the trade federation's spokesperson Patrick Craven.
Following Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel's announcement on Friday that the nomination process for potential commissioners is officially open, Craven said Cosatu had now "accepted" the fact that commissioners would be nominated from outside government.
The union was vehemently opposed to the green paper for national planning released last year, because it felt that Manuel and his commissioners would wield too much power and therefore undermine any gains the so-called left had secured at the ANC's Polokwane conference in 2007.
During an extensive parliamentary review of the green paper last year, the labour federation's concerns were dealt with by removing the executive powers initially conferred on commissioners. They will now only recommend policy changes to cabinet.
Meanwhile, the tensions around Manuel and his commission go to the heart of a division within cabinet and the tripartite alliance expected to raise the temperature at the ANC national executive committee's lekgotla this weekend.
According to ANC insiders, a grouping led by Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe and the ANC Youth League is said to be campaigning for the removal of Manuel, Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan, Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters, Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.
- Fin24.com
