COSATU response to Julius Malema
The Congress of South African Trade Unions has noted the comment by the President of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema, in response to a journalist's question on 30 September 2010.
He reportedly accused COSATU General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, of "calling the leadership of the ANC hyenas" and that "By saying there are hyenas in the ANC, you are referring to everybody, any leader of the ANC. And you are leaving everybody to be a suspect. They must just look at you, if you are ugly as a hyena, then you are a hyena, giving people money".
He said this was going against the call by the ANC's leadership at the NGC that there should be no "public spats" between members of the alliance, and he called for even-handedness. "NGC delegates", he said "spoke with one voice that discipline should be applied consistently, so we are awaiting the leadership of the ANC to provide that leadership."
The General Secretary's reference to ‘hyenas' was made in his address to the NEHAWU National Congress, when he said: "If we fail in our historic mission to fundamentally transform society to realise all the goals of the NDR, and if the tenderpreneurs succeed to make corruption a norm accepted by society, then we would be in a predator state controlled by political hyenas that would make looting a normal activity."
There is absolutely no reference to the ANC or any individual leader of the ANC. Comrade Malema is therefore completely mistaken in interpreting this comment as an attack on the ANC or ANCYL or as "public spats". Indeed, later in the same speech the GS emphasised this point when he said:
"Let me hasten to say when we talk about a defeated agenda of the new tendency we are not referring to the ANCYL, as the media would rush to say. The ANCYL is the natural ally of the workers. Tenderpreneurs are found in all the organisations that make up the liberation movement including in the ANCYL and COSATU.
"Most worrying has been the phenomenon where the real political hyenas use money and company shares to buy elements within the ANCYL and in other youth organisations to advance their dirty agendas. The time is coming where we shall have to name and shame these real enemies of the revolution who mouth unity but are hell-bent on destroying the cohesion of the liberation movement for their selfish ends."
The comments were clearly directed at the perpetrators of corruption in all walks of life - business, political parties and trade unions - and COSATU is calling for action against anyone found guilty of involvement in corrupt or fraudulent activities, regardless of where they come from. This is entirely in line with the ANC NGC resolution, which said:
"Council calls for a vigorous programme to promote integrity and cultivate revolutionary conduct across the movement. Further, Council calls for the establishment of the integrity committee of the ANC to drive this programme. The committee will also focus on curbing and combating possible abuse of power and corruption among ANC leaders and members at all levels. Such a structure must be composed mainly of those who have served the movement for a longer period of time, with a proven track record of integrity and self-discipline. The NEC needs to urgently develop guidelines for the Integrity Committee so that it can start functioning with immediate effect.
"Council instructs the NEC to review Rule 25 of the Constitution and develop a detailed Code of Conduct that should be taken to the 53rd National Conference. Part of the review should be to ensure that public representatives don't receive special treatment on matters of discipline."
COSATU is totally in agreement with this resolution, which, unlike the GS's speech does specifically refer to "possible abuse of power and corruption among ANC leaders and members at all levels". Yet Comrade Malema has not accused the NGC delegates of attacking indulging in "public spats"!
If Comrade Malema agrees with that NGC resolution, he cannot consistently attack the COSATU statement which is saying exactly the same thing. We call on him to join COSATU, and its allies and civil society, in the campaign to eradicate the cancer of corruption in our society wherever it occurs.
Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, September 30 2010
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