Hands off COSATU General Secretary Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi!
Tuesday August 13, 2013
The Eastern Cape National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) representing a membership of 31 420 wish to publicly pronounce unflinching and unwavering support of the Cosatu General Secretary Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi.
The political career and revolutionary life of comrade Vavi has been made a misery since the Cosatu National Congress where a reactionary anti working class faction attempted to contest him, and failed. We now know that in fact this faction did not even get mandates from their unions to do so.
Even before the dust had settled on the Cosatu Congress in which Comrade Vavi was elected unopposed, this faction transferred there attacks and fight to remove Comrade Vavi to the internal processes of Cosatu. He was accused of being corrupt by being in cahoots with the service provider that bought the Cosatu house. How could that happen if we have a core of leadership that works together? It means the core that is working with him is not honest. How come they do not know what is happening in the Federation in relation to the sale of the old Cosatu House? If they did not know, it means they do not deserve to be where they are.
Now he has been accused of raping a fellow employee. While he had publicly explained that they were in a consensual relationship, and he has apologised, and continues to apologise to everyone, this reactionary faction now wants to use this sexual incident to destroy Vavi and remove him from Cosatu.
It is very clear in our minds that there is a concerted effort to deal with the political character of comrade Zwelinzima Vavi because of his outspokenness in how the ruling party is implementing its policies that are detrimental to the working class and the poor. The lady has now withdrawn the charges meaning that comrade Zwelinzima Vavi was vindicated. Now the very same National Office Bearers of Cosatu want to charge him for not following the employment procedures of the Federation. Are you to tell us that since 2011 these National Office Bearers did not know that there is somebody employed actually to service their logistical needs without following Cosatu regulations?
Why is it so easy to hastily call a special Cosatu CEC when almost a year has passed and not a single campaign to challenge capital and the state about the worsening conditions of the working class? Why are these NOBs not worried that not a single revolutionary resolution of Congress has been implemented almost a year after Congress, but they are quite happy to lock Cosatu into an internal so called facilitated process which paralyses Comrade Vavi and renders Cosatu useless to the struggles of the working class?
Why are the NOBs suddenly so worried about a single sexual act at Cosatu as to call a special CEC when the radical resolutions of Congress are gathering dust, almost a year after Congress? Who do they think they are fooling?
We strongly support the view of FAWU that a special Congress must be convened.
We will continue to support the General Secretary of Cosatu as long as he is still the servant and the slave of the working class and the poor.
Statement issued by Phumzile Nodongwe, NUMSA Eastern Cape Regional Secretary, August 13 2013
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
