Former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi will not appeal his expulsion from the federation when it holds its national conference this weekend because “it would be a complete farce”.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Vavi said the S’dumo Dlamini-led central executive committee (CEC) refused to give him a hearing at the special national congress (SNC) in August.
“After engineering this SNC, the CEC says now I must make a written presentation to the ‘normal’ congress.”
He said the CEC report to be tabled this weekend “says the SNC endorsed my and Numsa’s dismissal”.
“So why are they then calling someone to make an appeal to the same people sitting in the same structure that has already pronounced you guilty without hearing your side of the story?” he asked.
Vavi was suspended from Cosatu for having an affair with a junior employee. He was put on special leave in August 2013, pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to the affair.
He returned to work on April 7 last year following a court ruling which overturned his suspension. But in March this year, he received a letter informing him that he had been dismissed for refusing to attend a CEC meeting.
Vavi said the reason for his expulsion from Cosatu was his decision not to endorse the CEC resolution to expel the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) from the federation.
“The real reason I was dismissed was that I could not find it in my conscience to implement a decision to dismiss 340000 members of Numsa from their federation – a step that would undermine and eventually destroy the unity so painstakingly worked for by our forebears.
“This decision was not only unprecedented but also very wrong and I would have taken the same position irrespective of the union involved.
“Dismissing workers en masse from the federation I know they love and they have built is simply wrong,” Vavi said.
“Worker unity is going to be the last thing in the minds of the leadership and their largely handpicked delegates or purge survivors.”
Vavi will not appeal expulsion
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Vavi said the S’dumo Dlamini-led central executive committee (CEC) refused to give him a hearing at the special national congress (SNC) in August.
“After engineering this SNC, the CEC says now I must make a written presentation to the ‘normal’ congress.”
He said the CEC report to be tabled this weekend “says the SNC endorsed my and Numsa’s dismissal”.
“So why are they then calling someone to make an appeal to the same people sitting in the same structure that has already pronounced you guilty without hearing your side of the story?” he asked.
Vavi was suspended from Cosatu for having an affair with a junior employee. He was put on special leave in August 2013, pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to the affair.
He returned to work on April 7 last year following a court ruling which overturned his suspension. But in March this year, he received a letter informing him that he had been dismissed for refusing to attend a CEC meeting.
Vavi said the reason for his expulsion from Cosatu was his decision not to endorse the CEC resolution to expel the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) from the federation.
“The real reason I was dismissed was that I could not find it in my conscience to implement a decision to dismiss 340000 members of Numsa from their federation – a step that would undermine and eventually destroy the unity so painstakingly worked for by our forebears.
“This decision was not only unprecedented but also very wrong and I would have taken the same position irrespective of the union involved.
“Dismissing workers en masse from the federation I know they love and they have built is simply wrong,” Vavi said.
“Worker unity is going to be the last thing in the minds of the leadership and their largely handpicked delegates or purge survivors.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos