A DECISION on Zwelinzima Vavi’s fate at the helm of Cosatu will go to a special congress, throwing the suspended general secretary a political lifeline.
Pressure from Vavi’s supporters had mounted all week on the labour federation’s central executive committee (CEC), which has been meeting for three days in Johannesburg, to convene the congress.
Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said they would comment today. “We will hold a media briefing tomorrow morning, so I can’t talk more on the matter,” he said.
Vavi also refused to comment.
President Sdumo Dlamini, bound by Cosatu’s constitution, must now convene the congress.
“Dlamini was told that a third of the federation’s unions are calling for a special congress and he must do as they say,” two union leaders told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
“He was reminded of the federation’s constitution and he should do as it says.”
This latest twist could spell the end of either Dlamini or Vavi’s future within Cosatu as the congress is likely to call for an election, which could see both men’s positions being contested.
But the decision for a special congress is a victory for Vavi’s supporters, who have long called for the federation to let its ordinary members – and “not a group of leaders” – decide his fate.
Vavi’s troubles started when the CEC resolved to probe allegations of irregularities in how the organisation sold its old building.
He was later suspended after he admitted to an affair with a junior Cosatu staffer earlier this year.
The move widened the cracks that began showing last year with rumours that the heads of National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) Irvin Jim and National Union of Mineworkers (Num) Frans Baleni were eyeing Vavi’s position leading up to the ANC Mangaung elective conference.
Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni yesterday said the congress would delay final action on all the investigations against Vavi as his detractors would be reluctant to take a decision that might be overturned by the conference.
“The congress means, substantially, that Cosatu now goes into lobbying mode and campaign mood internally … it takes Cosatu, generally, out of campaigning for the ANC into focusing on internal issues,” said Fikeni.
He said old names like that of Baleni, who was mentioned as a frontrunner to succeed Vavi, might go back into the mix.
“Lastly, the implications of a congress is that Cosatu may decide to review its policy stance towards the ANC, and that in itself is far more serious even than the outcome of the congress because they may decide ‘let’s debate the National Development Plan, embrace it or reject it’,” he said.
Vavi is supported by about seven of Cosatu’s 21 affiliates including one of it biggest, Numsa.
Cosatu affiliates who have called for a special congress include Numsa, the Food and Allied Workers Union, the South African Football Players Union, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa and the South African Municipal Workers Union.
The special congress comes as Cosatu’s alliance partner, the African National Congress (ANC), announced a high-level task team to intervene in the factional fight plaguing the federation.
ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa is heading the team. — aphiwed@dispatch.co.za / mphumziz@dispatch.co.za
VAVI THROWN A LIFELINE
Pressure from Vavi’s supporters had mounted all week on the labour federation’s central executive committee (CEC), which has been meeting for three days in Johannesburg, to convene the congress.
Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said they would comment today. “We will hold a media briefing tomorrow morning, so I can’t talk more on the matter,” he said.
Vavi also refused to comment.
President Sdumo Dlamini, bound by Cosatu’s constitution, must now convene the congress.
“Dlamini was told that a third of the federation’s unions are calling for a special congress and he must do as they say,” two union leaders told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
“He was reminded of the federation’s constitution and he should do as it says.”
This latest twist could spell the end of either Dlamini or Vavi’s future within Cosatu as the congress is likely to call for an election, which could see both men’s positions being contested.
But the decision for a special congress is a victory for Vavi’s supporters, who have long called for the federation to let its ordinary members – and “not a group of leaders” – decide his fate.
Vavi’s troubles started when the CEC resolved to probe allegations of irregularities in how the organisation sold its old building.
He was later suspended after he admitted to an affair with a junior Cosatu staffer earlier this year.
The move widened the cracks that began showing last year with rumours that the heads of National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) Irvin Jim and National Union of Mineworkers (Num) Frans Baleni were eyeing Vavi’s position leading up to the ANC Mangaung elective conference.
Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni yesterday said the congress would delay final action on all the investigations against Vavi as his detractors would be reluctant to take a decision that might be overturned by the conference.
“The congress means, substantially, that Cosatu now goes into lobbying mode and campaign mood internally … it takes Cosatu, generally, out of campaigning for the ANC into focusing on internal issues,” said Fikeni.
He said old names like that of Baleni, who was mentioned as a frontrunner to succeed Vavi, might go back into the mix.
“Lastly, the implications of a congress is that Cosatu may decide to review its policy stance towards the ANC, and that in itself is far more serious even than the outcome of the congress because they may decide ‘let’s debate the National Development Plan, embrace it or reject it’,” he said.
Vavi is supported by about seven of Cosatu’s 21 affiliates including one of it biggest, Numsa.
Cosatu affiliates who have called for a special congress include Numsa, the Food and Allied Workers Union, the South African Football Players Union, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa and the South African Municipal Workers Union.
The special congress comes as Cosatu’s alliance partner, the African National Congress (ANC), announced a high-level task team to intervene in the factional fight plaguing the federation.
ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa is heading the team. — aphiwed@dispatch.co.za / mphumziz@dispatch.co.za
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