COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi abandoned the ANC’s “good story” script at Cosatu’s May Day rally and instead spoke more uncomfortable truths.
He talked about a troubled tripartite alliance and its strained relationship with metal workers’ union, Numsa.
While Vavi started off reading a prepared speech, the wind started to blow some of the pages away, prompting him to toss them aside, saying: “Take these papers away. Zwelinzima Vavi is going to speak now; I don’t need a speech.”
A defiant Vavi, who delivered his address to a crowd of about 3000 at Port Elizabeth’s Dan Qeqe Stadium, did not try to convince workers to vote for the ANC despite pressure from his boss, Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini.
This after Dlamini told a newspaper that Vavi would be given a prepared speech and be forced to convince workers to vote for the ANC at yesterday’s rally.
Choosing not to echo the sentiments of deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, ANC MP Lindelwa Dunjwa and Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Ben Fihla – who all urged the crowd to vote for the ANC on May 7 – Vavi instead spoke about the tripartite which he said was an alliance on paper only.
“We want a living alliance, not an alliance in name only. We love an alliance where leaders work together.
“We don’t want an alliance that is woken up six months before the elections,” Vavi said.
“When we say down with e-tolls, ban labour brokers and a decent minimum wage for all – that must happen. We don’t want leaders to say we won’t listen to you, but we know you will still continue to love us.
“That’s an abuse of loyalty and trust. That is a paper alliance,” he said.
On Wednesday, Vavi urged union members to attend yesterday’s rally after some Cosatu-affiliated unions – with the exception of Nehawu and Popcru – threatened to boycott the event because they said it would be turned into an ANC electioneering tool.
The majority of those in attendance wore yellow T-shirts, while the rest donned red union T-shirts.
In what appeared to be an attempt to get Numsa back into the fold, after the metal workers’ bumped heads with Cosatu leaders when Vavi was suspended, Vavi said Numsa should not be victimised.
“We must defend the rights of Numsa to go and decide whatever is within its rights for the decision of workers.
“They cannot be chased away from Cosatu because they made their own decisions. What kind of federation would we be if we did that?
“People saying that Vavi betrayed Numsa even though it supported him during his suspension is not right.
“I am the general secretary of 18 unions, not one union only. If I promote Numsa’s decisions I would be the general secretary of Numsa only, not the others.”
Vavi was speaking at just one of several May Day rallies held around the country.
At a rally at Sinaba Stadium, in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte said South Africa had achieved a lot under the ANC-led government but poverty, unemployment and inequality remained a problem.
At a May Day rally in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape, the ANC and Cosatu used the opportunity to rubbish the DA’s attempts for a better life in the province.
Zweli Mkhize, the former premier of KwaZulu-Natal said the DA provincial government had reversed “all the gains” of the ruling party.
Vavi dumps speech to speak out openly
He talked about a troubled tripartite alliance and its strained relationship with metal workers’ union, Numsa.
While Vavi started off reading a prepared speech, the wind started to blow some of the pages away, prompting him to toss them aside, saying: “Take these papers away. Zwelinzima Vavi is going to speak now; I don’t need a speech.”
A defiant Vavi, who delivered his address to a crowd of about 3000 at Port Elizabeth’s Dan Qeqe Stadium, did not try to convince workers to vote for the ANC despite pressure from his boss, Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini.
This after Dlamini told a newspaper that Vavi would be given a prepared speech and be forced to convince workers to vote for the ANC at yesterday’s rally.
Choosing not to echo the sentiments of deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, ANC MP Lindelwa Dunjwa and Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Ben Fihla – who all urged the crowd to vote for the ANC on May 7 – Vavi instead spoke about the tripartite which he said was an alliance on paper only.
“We want a living alliance, not an alliance in name only. We love an alliance where leaders work together.
“We don’t want an alliance that is woken up six months before the elections,” Vavi said.
“When we say down with e-tolls, ban labour brokers and a decent minimum wage for all – that must happen. We don’t want leaders to say we won’t listen to you, but we know you will still continue to love us.
“That’s an abuse of loyalty and trust. That is a paper alliance,” he said.
On Wednesday, Vavi urged union members to attend yesterday’s rally after some Cosatu-affiliated unions – with the exception of Nehawu and Popcru – threatened to boycott the event because they said it would be turned into an ANC electioneering tool.
The majority of those in attendance wore yellow T-shirts, while the rest donned red union T-shirts.
In what appeared to be an attempt to get Numsa back into the fold, after the metal workers’ bumped heads with Cosatu leaders when Vavi was suspended, Vavi said Numsa should not be victimised.
“We must defend the rights of Numsa to go and decide whatever is within its rights for the decision of workers.
“They cannot be chased away from Cosatu because they made their own decisions. What kind of federation would we be if we did that?
“People saying that Vavi betrayed Numsa even though it supported him during his suspension is not right.
“I am the general secretary of 18 unions, not one union only. If I promote Numsa’s decisions I would be the general secretary of Numsa only, not the others.”
Vavi was speaking at just one of several May Day rallies held around the country.
At a rally at Sinaba Stadium, in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte said South Africa had achieved a lot under the ANC-led government but poverty, unemployment and inequality remained a problem.
At a May Day rally in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape, the ANC and Cosatu used the opportunity to rubbish the DA’s attempts for a better life in the province.
Zweli Mkhize, the former premier of KwaZulu-Natal said the DA provincial government had reversed “all the gains” of the ruling party.
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