CWU STATEMENT ON POLITICAL OFFENSIVE AGAINST COSATU GENERAL SECRETARY

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) notes with utter disgust the utterances attributed by President of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) Julius Malema in relation to the General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Cde Zwelinzima Vavi.

ANCYL President Malema insinuates that Cde Vavi once he stood down as Cosatu's General Secretary he would automatically find a political home among ANC's top brass. "He (Vavi) must go to the branch. You must first have a branch. He thought he is going to the National Executive Committee of the ANC, which is an uncultured way of addressing issues in the ANC. You don't say you are going to the NEC, you must say you are going to the branch, but because he doesn't understand the ANC very well he starts from the top."

These utterances by ANCYL President Malema are littered with malice and can only serve an agenda which seeks to isolate Cde Vavi from his core constituency and base the workers and the poor. It is also a reflection that Cde Malema is part of those participating in an agenda which seeks to alienate Alliance leaders and dent the image of the working class formations, particularly the SACP and Cosatu.

As CWU we do not doubt the leadership credibility and capability of our General Secretary Cde Vavi. Cde Vavi's leadership qualities and future roles do not rest with the ANCYL President. Cde Julius should be reminded that Cde Vavi enjoys support amongst the rank and file membership of the ANC apart from the support he is enjoying from about 2 million of the workers whom some are ANC members too.

We call on the ANC leadership to discipline the ANCYL President for his insults to senior Alliance leaders and not be cajoled (by threats of no re-election in 2012) into seemingly populist calls designed to advance narrow Sectoral interests.

The call for a lifestyle audit for all public servants and political leaders are not a personal attack to any leader including ANCYL President, but it is something that must done as part of fighting corruption in practicing the commitment we have made to our people through election manifesto and also dispelling any hint or allegation of positions being used on the basis of accumulation and lavish lifestyle.

Statement issued by Matankana Mothapo, Communication Workers Union national spokesperson, March 10 2010

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