Vavi cautions against euphoria after Ramaphosa’s election as new ANC president

SA Federation of Trade Union boss Zwelinzima Vavi has cautioned against the euphoria and optimism following the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC president.

Recounting his role in the elevation‚ in 2007‚ of President Jacob Zuma to the helm of the ANC and then ultimately to the Union Buildings in 2009‚ Vavi cautioned some ANC members‚ and South Africans in general‚ not to easily believe that Ramaphosa's election meant the end of the Zuma nightmare.

Describing Zuma's tenure at the ANC as "10 years of hell"‚ Vavi said that "desperation" had driven him and his then colleagues in Cosatu‚ the SA Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC to elevate Zuma because they wanted Mbeki out at all cost.

He said people should not be easily trusting.

"People can have short memories when they are desperate. We were so desperate in 2007. We were so desperate to get rid of Thabo Mbeki‚ who said he had not seen anyone who had died of Aids. We hated him with his arrogance and we chose the most compromised person because he was brave enough to take on Thabo Mbeki‚" said Vavi.

"People are so stupid that they hero-worship this buffalo ... and our people are so desperate for something so different from Zuma that they now call themselves buffalo soldiers."

Vavi was speaking on Saturday in Pretoria‚ at the inauguration of the Finance Union of Workers (Fuwo).

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