The march from Alexandra to Sandton, is one of three set to take place on the same day, representing a split within civil society, and between civil society and grassroots social movements. Briefing delegates at NASREC, SANGOCO President Lukas Mufamadi said that the GPF march has been infiltrated by the ANC, and that the ruling party’s presence compromises civil society autonomy. He said the coalition has not yet decided which of the two other marches it will support. However, it is likely that it will come out in support of the Landless People’s Movement and Anti-Privatisation Forum protest.

There has been deep confusion surrounding the three marches, with civil society delegates having to decide between the official GPF march, that under the banner of the Social Movement Indaba, and the LPM/APF march. The latter two marches are seen as representing the views of the dispossessed and marginalized, which SANGOCO supports. “We cannot share a common political platform with the ANC,” said Mufamadi, “for instance, we are anti- privatisation.” “We have no problem with COSATU or the SACP, but we do have a problem with a political party marching alongside us. The ANC still perceives itself as a civil society movement. It is up to us to insist that it is not civil society, but a political party.”

He said the International Steering Committee has failed to condemn the ANC’s participation in the GPF march. That’s despite the ISC distancing itself from the ANC’s reported involvement in the march earlier in the day – a move that could be seen as an attempt to avert a split with SANGOCO. The 11th hour decision has been criticized by SANGOCO membership, but much of civil society is behind the move. French delegates at NASREC have apparently decided to support the LPM/APF march, and others are set to follow.

Mufamadi is critical of the ultimate effectiveness of civil society deliberations at NASREC, suggesting that marches are more effective ways of protesting. “Marches on the street raise important issues that affect poor people across the globe,” he said. He said SANGOCO would have preferred to have reached a common platform for a single march to be held, but that there has been a deliberate attempt to move away from commitments intended to benefit poor people.

On the marginalisation of groups like the LPM at NASREC, Mufamadi added that NASREC should have been an open forum, were the marginalised and poor could participate on an equal footing with civil society. He says emerging social movements like the LPM are the only way of insuring that resolutions taken will actually be implemented.

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