Manuel and the Alliance

When Jacob Zuma first rose to the South African presidency many feared that among the changes he would implement would be to reduce the role of Trevor Manuel. Instead Manuel, long considered among the very best, most effective South African politicians, seems to have had his role augmented. Finance Minister from 1996 to Zuma’s ascension this year, Manuel now serves as Minister in the Presidency in charge of the National Planning Commission. And yet there has been some outcry in recent months about Manuel’s role on the commission and its ultimate mission, especially from the ANC alliance partners in the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and South African Communist Party (SACP). Manuel has announced that he will lead a group of “external experts” within the planning commission and the ANC will try to strengthen the tripartite alliance from within. One wonders if the planning commission will mark another step in the eventual dissolution of the tripartite alliance or if Manuel and others will be able to convince COSATU and SACP leaders that the commission will serve the long-term interests of all alliance members.