COSATU response to allegation against General Secretary

At a media conference this morning, 28 February 2013, the Congress of South African Trade Unions responded to media reports, based on allegations by anonymous sources, that, among other things, the COSATU General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, is under investigation for financial impropriety (see BDLive report).

This was emphatically refuted by the federation. There are no such investigations into financial irregularities or anything else.

Journalists at the conference asked about a specific allegation concerning the GS's implications in financial irregularities in the sale of the old COSATU House and the purchase of the new COSATU House.

The journalists' questions further tried to link this allegation to a Central Executive Committee (CEC) discussion on political, organisational, strategic and tactical issues, on which there have been some differences of opinion, which are to be further discussed at a meeting of affiliates'Presidents and General Secretaries which will appoint independent persons to facilitate the discussion.

These discussions have absolutely nothing to do with any allegations against the GS or the buildings, and no-one has come forward with any evidence to back up such allegations.

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, February 28 2013

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