The Lonmin mine tragedy has been hijacked by “counter-revolutionaries” who wish to undermine the tripartite alliance, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Sunday.

“Marikana was taken over and hijacked... and out of it came counter-revolutionaries to undermine our movement.” 

The question was how the tripartite alliance was going to deal with that, he asked.

Mantashe was speaking at a Young Communist League of SA public lecture held in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni.

Also present were Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini and SACP deputy chairman Thulas Nxesi.

Mantashe said he was secretary general of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in 1998 when the union expelled Joseph Mathunjwa because of ill-discipline.

Mathunjwa is now president of the NUM splinter union, Amcu.

“I have been cautious about the Marikana tragedy, but this is the danger I saw come out of that sad incident.”  

He asked what the in-fighting within the alliance was about.

“Is it about the movement itself, is it a fight over resources or handing over the country to foreign agencies?”  

Mantashe said there were some who thought they were “rightful heirs” to the ANC succession.

“The tripartite alliance is going to be around for many years to come.”