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Press statement issued by the Congress of South African Trade Unions.

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Statement by COSATU, the SA Council of
Churches, South African Youth Council,
Disability Sector and SANCO on Civil Society
Participation in the WSSD

January 17, 2002

The World Summit on Sustainable Development provides South
Africans with a unique opportunity to work for poverty
eradication on a world scale in the context of environmentally,
socially and economically sustainable development. The main
constituencies of civil society have a key role to play in achieving
this objective.

Moreover, our people can use this opportunity to learn about
international debates on sustainable development, to network
with counterparts from around the world, and to engage in
action around sustainable development in South Africa itself.

In this context, we need to ensure a coherent, financially sound
and fully representative structure to represent South African civil
society at the WSSD. The main tasks of this structure are to:

1. Facilitate meetings for South African civil society to develop
common positions around sustainable development and the
WSSD process;

2. Work with civil society from around the world to organise
the Civil Society Summit at the WSSD; and

3. Assist the constituencies to raise funds and carry out
programmes with their membership around the WSSD.

We will convene an initial meeting of the main constituencies of
civil society to establish this structure next week. Already, the
major organisations representing labour, youth, women, the
disabled, faith-based organisations and civics have decided to
participate.

In this context, we must reiterate that the Civil Society Indaba
does not represent civil society for the purposes of the WSSD.
Its structures do not ensure adequate representation of the main
constituencies of civil society, as defined by the U.N., as the
attached document shows. The Indaba should therefore not
raise funds or interact with official agencies as the representative
of South African civil society.

The status of the Civil Society Indaba

The Civil Society Indaba, although purportedly established to
represent civil society in the WSSD process, does not in fact
fulfil that function.

There are two reasons for this failure.

1. The structures of the Indaba give disproportionate power to
small and unrepresentative NGOs. This occurs by giving
NGOs three-fold representation: through the so-called
provincial representatives, the NGO constituency, and the
votes given NGOs under the heading of “rural and urban
communities”. In contrast, key groups of civil society –
notably the disabled and civics – have no seats at all.

2. The financial management of the Secretariat to the Indaba
remains open to question. Remuneration is extraordinarily
high for non-profit civil society – initially topping out at over
R40 000 a month, including car allowance, although this
figure was reduced somewhat this January, following our
protests. In addition, we have some evidence of alleged
misappropriation of funds, which we can provide on
request. The audit commissioned by the CSS has proven to
be superficial and inadequate.

In light of these facts, and after long drawn-out discussions in an
attempt to reform the Indaba’s structure, FEDUSA, COSATU,
SANCO, the South African Youth Council and the South
African Council of Churches have decided it is impossible to
participate in the Indaba. It is therefore meaningless to present
the Indaba as the legitimate representative of civil society.

Patrick Craven and Moloto Mothapo
Acting COSATU Spokespersons

[email protected]
082-821-7456
339-4911

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