NATIONAL NEWS - As African National Congress (ANC) alliance partners decry the state of the governing party, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) President Sdumo Dlamini has told delegates at the federation’s central committee meeting not to give up on the ANC.

At the same time, the South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade Nzimande has told the same delegates that the ANC might need to be replaced if it fails to self-correct.

Nzimande and Dlamini delivered addresses at the gathering in Pretoria on Monday.

“The question is, is the ANC still capable of rescuing itself?” Nzimande asked.

He says that if the ANC can’t rescue itself, the SACP may have to look for its substitute.

“What should be its substitute because as the Communist Party we can’t, strictly speaking. But there might be in future a need to mobilise a whole range of forces to play this role if the ANC is unable to play it.”

But Dlamini says the ANC needs the alliance.

“The ANC can’t survive on her own, without us, the workers, in this country.”