COSATU Media Monitor Special Bulletin, 16 August 2013

[Norman Mampane]

COSATU Media Monitor Special Bulletin

Friday, 16 August 2013

 

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COSATU National Collective Bargaining, Organizing and Campaigns Conference Special Declaration

 

http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=7062

 

COSATU has served a Section77 Notice at Nedlac on the 11^th December 2012

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COSATU E-toll Campaign goes ahead in 2013.

http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=6793

 

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The articles in the Media Monitor do not represent the views of COSATU. They are selected because we believe they deal with topics of interest to our readers, who will then be informed on how the media is reporting and commenting on these topics. It will enable them, if necessary, to respond to inaccurate, misleading or biased reports or comment.

If we have excluded other articles which readers wished could have been picked, this was not intentional but because of tight time-frames. If you have seen article worth to be shared email it.

 

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Contents

 

COSATU

Ø  Vavi, employee on ‘special leave’

Ø  ANC: Be quiet about Vavi

Ø  Internal troubles distract Cosatu from election campaign

Ø  After suspension, Vavi tweets apology

Ø  Numsa deems Vavi suspension as unconstitutional

Ø  Vavi released of all duties: Cosatu

Ø  Vavi to speak out ‘later’Cosatu meeting constitutional: Dlamini

Ø  Cosatu breaks the silence on Vavi

Ø  Vavi faces more hearings, possible sanctions

Ø  Vavi suspended: Numsa

Ø  ANC: Be quiet about Vavi

Ø  Internal troubles distract Cosatu from election campaign

__________________________________________________________

1.                 COSATU

Vavi, employee on ‘special leave’

Carien du Plessis @carienduplessis #Cosatu15 August 2013

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini has confirmed that the labour federation’s general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, as well as the employee he had sex with at the office have been placed on “special leave” until a disciplinary hearing into their conduct has been finalised.

The hearing is set to start in the next four weeks and will be chaired by “independent persons” appointed by Cosatu’s national office bearers and the presidents of Cosatu’s affiliates.

Vavi is still allowed in the building, and was in the building as today’s press conference took place, his deputy, Bheki Ntshalintshali said.

Vavi tweeted: “In my office – packing my essentials – clearing my desk – will speak tomorrow or Saturday.”

Ntshalintshali will act in Vavi’s position for the time being.

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TWEET OF THE WEEK: Zwelinzima Vavi

 Gareth Van Onselen, Business Day, 16 August 2013

WELCOME to Tweet of the Week. Every Friday I use this column to hand out an award to one person who has tweeted something of significance. There are no strict rules, only that the tweet in question must offer an important insight, define a debate (notorious or otherwise) or mark an occasion.

This week the Tweet of the Week goes to @Zwelinzima1 for:

"I am relieved so many have accepted that apology and recognize that some remain unforgiving. Know others celebrating and rubbing salt."

Profile: Zwelinzima Vavi is the suspended general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). Once closely aligned to President Jacob Zuma, for whom he campaigned ahead of Polokwane, he has since been highly critical of the president, an attitude that has come to threaten both his position and unity within Cosatu as factions within the trade-union federation have split around Vavi and along pro-and anti-Zuma lines.

Recently, a Cosatu employee accused him of rape. Although that charge was withdrawn, Vavi admitted to infidelity. On that basis he was suspended on Wednesday, pending an internal probe into his conduct. He has about 100,000 followers on Twitter.

Citation: Vavi’s only public response, in the hours following his suspension, was on Twitter. He posted three messages, of which the one above received the most attention, being retweeted more than 320 times. It hints at the profound division that he, like his once-ally-now-nemesis Zuma, embodies. He has become the epicentre of the fundamental fracture that runs through the trade union and his fate will determine the state of Cosatu once it emerges from its current chaos.

It is worth considering how Zuma has eaten up and spat out those supporters primarily responsible for his election as African National Congress leader at Polokwane in 2007.

Julius Malema, the former ANC Youth League leader, has had his career ripped from under him. Expelled from the party and now pursued by the law, he has been reduced from demagogic darling to outlawed rebel.

Kgalema Motlanthe, second on the Zuma slate in 2007, stood against Zuma at the subsequent national conference in Mangaung and was dispatched, replaced as ANC deputy president by Cyril Ramaphosa.

Tokyo Sexwale too, once a Zuma acolyte, has been dismissed. Now Vavi, who mobilised the unions against Zuma’s 2007 enemy Thabo Mbeki, has been fed to the wolves.

When Vavi says others are celebrating and "rubbing salt" into his wounds, you can be sure Zuma is among them. The president has, over the past three years, applied enough salt to his enemies to season a banquet.

Apart from the main protagonists behind Zuma’s 2007 victory, others have felt his wrath. The president has made 69 changes in six Cabinet reshuffles since he first took office in 2009, rid himself of police commissioner Bheki Cele (although his hand was somewhat forced by Cele’s own conduct) and brutally purged provincial and local ANC leaders in government who had defied him. Sometimes he uses formal process to achieve his goal (Vavi), sometimes the party (Motlanthe) and sometimes a combination of the two (Malema) but, one way or another, anyone who hints at dissent is quickly banished from his inner circle.

Through it all Zuma endures. His Stalin-like intolerance for criticism has reduced the highest positions of power and authority in South Africa to a series of holding patterns. Those willing to ingratiate themselves before the president are richly rewarded; those who do not toe the line are rounded upon and harangued out.

It is difficult to assess the real impact of all of this on governance, apart from the obvious: continuity suffers and it becomes impossible to effectively oversee long-term programmes and policy. The Department of Communications, which has had four ministers and three deputy ministers in four years, is the quintessential example. No institution can properly deliver on its outcomes when its leadership is chopped and changed every six months. But there is subtler, potentially more damaging behaviour that is inculcated in such a demagogic environment.

For one, merit — already under a decade-long assault through cadre deployment — is made subservient to patronage. Potential leaders learn they must demonstrate obsequiousness, not skill, if they want to progress. And criticism and oversight, checks and balances, come to be seen as obstacles to power, not guarantees of its legitimacy. Whether political or formal, power is pursued for its own sake, detached from its purpose. That attitude is now pervasive under Zuma and it is little surprise that service delivery has suffered as a result — or that violence and assassinations have come to define local ANC politics, for when formal avenues to power are corrupted, it is best secured through the barrel of a gun.

Vavi is no fool. He has managed his own criticism of Zuma so expertly that those aligned to the president have been forced to use his personal conduct to achieve a political outcome. That attitude, too, is becoming more frequent. Former communications minister Dina Pule’s personal conduct was the cause of her downfall, as was the case for the late local government minister Sicelo Shiceka. Elsewhere, Motlanthe’s relationships and Sexwale’s divorce have dominated headlines.

That is not to suggest such things are never worthy of consequence, only that personal conduct — sex, relationships, acquaintances — has replaced formal criteria such as merit, performance and outcomes as the grounds for action to be taken. It is another sure sign that demagoguery, not democracy, holds sway. Remember, Zuma offered not a single word of explanation when he recently reconstituted his Cabinet for a sixth time.

The result is a president who runs the country like a chieftainship, not like a democracy. Informal relationships, patronage and personal behaviour determine success. The Guptas personify this trend. Vavi’s performance as general secretary is entirely irrelevant to his long-term prospects. All that matters is his relationship to Zuma. And, now that he has fallen out with the chief, it seems no formal process can save him.

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Vavi's exile will break Cosatu

Matuma Letsoalo, Charles Molele, M&G, 15 August 2013

·          

·         The isolation of Cosatu's general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is said to foreshadow a split in trade union federation's ranks.

 

Embattled Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi has been stripped of a host of employee benefits and perks, including his credit card, iPad, cellphone allowance and company car, following the federation’s decision to put him on special leave on Wednesday night.

Zenzo Mahlangu, the general secretary of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), told the Mail & Guardian on Thursday that the special central executive committee (CEC) decided that Vavi must return all assets belonging to Cosatu pending the outcome of his disciplinary hearing scheduled for mid-September.

The junior staff member who lodged and later withdrew a grievance against Vavi has also been put on special leave. Both she and Vavi will face disciplinary hearings to be headed by an independent person.

Mahlangu said Vavi was also barred from talking to the media on behalf of Cosatu while on special leave, adding that he may not interfere with anyone at Cosatu who is privy to the details of the sexual harassment case, including the employee with whom he had sex.

Another condition is that Vavi may not go to the office without first notifying Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini or acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali.

Save face

“We decided that he must bring all the assets, including the keys, credit card, the iPad and the laptop,” said Mahlangu. “Everything that belongs to the federation must be brought back. Some of the benefits he enjoyed helped him to perform the duties of Cosatu. Now he is no longer performing those duties … If I were him I would resign and save face. I wonder how he will come back.”

Mahlangu said Satawu was the first union to table the motion that Vavi must be suspended.

“We raised the motion first because we believed he must go through the disciplinary process to clear his name,” said Mahlangu.

“There is no decision taken whether he is guilty or not. We said there must be an investigation and the [onus] is upon the person who is appointed to head the disciplinary process to recommend the way forward. The constitution of Cosatu allows the CEC to dismiss anyone, but we thought he should be subjected to a fair process. The presidents and secretaries will meet [soon] to decide the terms of reference for the disciplinary process.”

In a dramatic week, Thobile Ntola, Vavi’s close ally and president of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, was suspended from his union for allowing Vavi to address union members in the Eastern Cape.

In addition, attempts by Vavi’s supporters, including the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu), to cancel the CEC were rejected.

Invalid

Although the special CEC dismissed the argument put forward by the two unions that the meeting was unconstitutional, the M&G understands that Numsa is considering legal action to declare the committee meeting invalid.

Earlier on Wednesday, Vavi’s lawyers wrote a letter to Cosatu officials in an attempt to challenge the special CEC. However, the letter was ignored as it also raised issues of the facilitated process and was unrelated to the sexual harassment case.

Mahlangu also told the M&G that Numsa tried unsuccessfully to interdict the special CEC from sitting.

Ahead of the meeting, there was growing speculation that Cosatu is headed for a split. This was given credence by Numsa’s announcement that it will convene a special congress in December to decide on its future. At a media briefing in Johannesburg this week, Numsa president Cedric Gina accused Dlamini of being a factionalist, being reckless with the future of the federation and fuelling divisions.

Numsa believes the anti-Vavi group is using the sex scandal to kick him out of Cosatu after failing to provide evidence to back allegations of corruption against him.

Gina said he believed that the deepening divisions in Cosatu were a result of differences between those who want to pursue a radical policy approach and those who are pushing for a softer stance towards the ANC and government.

Rupture

“It is evidently clear that those within Cosatu that have been advocating the idea of a rupture in Cosatu might be correct,” Gina said.

“From Numsa’s perspective, this rupture in Cosatu is between forces of capitalism and forces of socialism. We make this bold statement because we have seen how in the CEC some argued why we should not campaign against e-tolling, and why we must not honour and execute the Cosatu resolution and policy of nationalisation of the commanding heights of the South African economy. Those who want comrade Vavi out of Cosatu want a Cosatu which will be a toy telephone, a labour desk, a pro-capitalist Cosatu, and those who are defending him want a revolutionary, socialist, anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist Cosatu.”

In his submission to Cosatu, Vavi warned of a possible split in the union federation if the divisions continue.

“There is little doubt that the federation has already been weakened and almost paralysed by the divisions. Our house, indeed, is on fire on too many fronts. The question we should ask is: What is the end game of this toxic warfare in the federation? The route we are travelling is taking us straight towards an implosion, which may lead to the split of every union and the federation itself,” said Vavi.

Mahlangu said the possibility of a split in Cosatu has long been in the offing. “Unions like Numsa and Fawu said they reserved their right [to break away]. Some of them said they will find it difficult to campaign for the ANC. It is clear they have their plan,” he said.

No divisions

Dlamini insisted on Thursday that there are no divisions within Cosatu and rejected suggestions that the decision to suspend Vavi is part of a political conspiracy.

He said Cosatu will continue to push for the abolition of labour brokers and the scrapping of e-tolls, and will campaign for a national minimum wage and the protection of vulnerable workers.

“Our focus is to ensure there is no implosion in Cosatu. Those who are doomsayers will repeat this and make sure Cosatu is weakened. It makes them happy. Our focus is to make sure there is no split. That is critical. We will not spend time on whether Cosatu will split or not,” Dlamini told journalists.

Political analyst and University of the Witwatersrand professor William Mervyn Gumede said the possible implosion of Cosatu is the result of the federation’s decision to back President Jacob Zuma during the ANC’s elective conference in Polokwane in 2007.

“The decision has come back to haunt them,” said Gumede.

“This infighting we are seeing within the federation is the ripple effect of the decisions they made to support JZ and involve the trade union movement in the ANC’s internal battles in the period leading to Polokwane.

“They thought protesting against [Thabo] Mbeki would lead to change, but the fundamental issues have not changed as yet. The economy is still not working and things have become worse. This means that, indeed, we might see a splinter or the total break-up of the trade union movement.”

_____________

Numsa is Vavi's refuge

Olebogeng Molatlhwa, Times Live, 16 August 2013

 

All that stands between suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and a possible life in the political wilderness is the union federation's biggest affiliate and staunch ally - the National Union of Metalworkers of SA.

Numsa leaders will brief the media today after a special sitting of its national executive committee yesterday. A defence of Vavi and a strategy to have him re-installed as Cosatu's leader was expected to top the meeting's agenda.

Numsa remains steadfast in rejecting the outcome of the special sitting of Cosatu's central executive committee, which placed Vavi on special leave on Wednesday night.

Numsa said the meeting was unconstitutional, a charge that was rejected yesterday by Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini.

"The meeting was fully constitutionally convened by the Cosatu national office bearers, was quorate and was attended by leaders of Cosatu-affiliated unions and provincial structures," Dlamini said.

Vavi's deputy, Bheki Ntshalintshali, said he was entitled to sign the letter calling for Wednesday's special meeting as he enjoyed the same constitutional powers as Vavi.

But Numsa refused to accept this and responded by summoning its national executive committee to a special sitting .

The media briefing is expected to outline Numsa's plan to combat what it describes as concerted efforts to rid Cosatu of Vavi and his influence while deflating the giant union into a less vocal body.

Numsa's spokesman, Castro Ngobese, would not say what was to be discussed in the meeting.

Speaking to The Times on Wednesday night, Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim denounced Cosatu's meeting earlier that evening. He said that the meeting was held purely to suspend Vavi.

If Numsa does announce a campaign to reverse Vavi's suspension, the ensuing political battle is likely to plunge the federation into a crisis.

Those close to the scene at Cosatu headquarters say if the tension is not managed, the tripartite alliance will suffer adversely at the polls next year.

"Forget the Vavi matter; if we are not careful, we are likely to be caught in a dark forest with nowhere to go," said a senior official on condition of anonymity.

Cosatu yesterday said the Vavi sex probe would be concluded before its central executive committee meeting next month. The meeting would also dissect the ongoing investigation into Vavi's alleged sale of the old Cosatu building.

The federation said its central executive committee ensured impartiality when probing Vavi's liaison with a 26-year-old junior staffer.

It said it went as far as bringing in an "independent person" to preside over the disciplinary hearings.

___________

Uproar over ‘spy report used to suspend Vavi’

Natasha Marrian And Carol Paton, Business Day, 16 August 2013

LAWYERS representing suspended Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi say sensational claims gleaned from a "concocted intelligence report" were used to oust him from his top job.

The lawyers said in a letter they sent to Cosatu that the use of the "intelligence report" meant the meeting on Wednesday at which Mr Vavi was suspended proved the existence of political motives in the move to oust him.

The letter claimed Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini had circulated the report to affiliates.

The report contains claims that Mr Vavi is involved with "imperialists" and with AgangSA, the political party led by former businesswoman and anti-apartheid activist Mamphela Ramphele. The developments unfolding are a re-run of the dirty tricks that surfaced before the Polokwane conference of the African National Congress (ANC) in 2007, at which Jacob Zuma replaced Thabo Mbeki as ANC president.

This time, however, Mr Vavi — formerly a staunch supporter of Mr Zuma — appears to be the target, fighting for his political survival.

He was suspended on Wednesday in a special sitting of Cosatu’s central executive committee, after his admission of an affair with a 26-year-old employee. Questions were also raised about the manner in which the woman was employed.

Factions for and against Mr Vavi in the federation battled during the intense gathering — those supporting him attempted to halt the meeting, while those against him pushed for it to go ahead — and eventually won the day, emerging with his and the woman’s suspension, pending the outcome of an internal disciplinary process.

The letter was reported to the central executive committee meeting, but not "tabled".

According to sources, questions were raised about who compiled the report and also whether the federation was abusing its powers to have Mr Vavi dealt with.

The intelligence report, according to sources, says the long-standing general secretary is involved with an organisation called the National Endowment for Democracy, a US-based, "imperialist" organisation, and also with AgangSA. It says the group was active in Zimbabwe.

Of Cosatu’s six national office-bearers, Mr Vavi’s voice is generally the loudest, but yesterday during a media briefing to announce the action against him, the remaining five took turns answering tough questions related to the effective silencing of Mr Vavi, in his conspicuous absence.

They attempted to counter a wave of recriminations and accusations by his backers that the meeting which suspended Mr Vavi was not constitutionally convened.

This was offset by weeks of pronouncements that the emergence of the now-withdrawn rape allegations and Mr Vavi’s subsequent admission of an affair with the Cosatu employee were part of a political conspiracy against him, aimed at liquidating his contribution and neutralising him politically.

But the Cosatu president yesterday brushed aside allegations of a political conspiracy.

However, he declined to comment when contacted about the lawyers’ letter later on.

Mr Vavi and the woman in question would both face a disciplinary hearing, Cosatu said on Thursday.

Mr Dlamini accused the media of focusing unfairly on Mr Vavi and at the same time "trampling" on the woman’s rights.

When asked about how the move to suspend Mr Vavi would affect the federation’s campaigns, Cosatu second deputy president Zukiswa Losi said the campaigns adopted were not "Vavi issues".

She said the public tended to "elevate an individual", but that person was mandated to speak on behalf of the federation as a whole.

"Cosatu has six elected office-bearers, democratically elected … we tend to elevate and create a perception that Cosatu is about an individual," she said.

The furore around Mr Vavi has plunged Cosatu into its biggest crisis since its formation.

Unions have lined up against each other, and even within affiliates — the lifeblood of the federation — there are divisions over those supporting him and those against. A meeting of Cosatu union chiefs and national office-bearers will now identify an independent party to conduct the disciplinary hearings.

The process will have to be concluded by September 16, when the central executive committee reconvenes, with a report to be presented to the meeting.

It is understood that a report on the grievance process that was held after the woman levelled, and then withdrew, a rape allegation against Mr Vavi, was presented at Wednesday’s meeting.

Sources said the report, compiled by an independent party, recommended that the organisation deal with the "very serious" disciplinary issues raised during the hearing.

Mr Vavi’s supporters yesterday continued arguing that the meeting was not constitutional.

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA, which backs Mr Vavi, is due to hold a media briefing today to lay out its next move.

Food and Allied Workers Union general secretary Katishi Masemola said: "Cosatu won’t be the same.… The first thing is that there is going to be two camps within the federation."

"Each and every affiliate will be affected by instability of sorts.

"Unity of each and every affiliate is not guaranteed."

However, Mr Dlamini said the responsibility of the remaining leadership of Cosatu was to ensure unity. "Those who are doom-sayers …. will repeat that and demonstrate that Cosatu is splitting.

"We are alive and aware of attempts to split the federation," Mr Dlamini said.

But the leadership could not afford to spend time predicting the demise of the organisation.

_________

Vavi is presidential material: we can't afford to lose him: iLIVE

Kiekie Mboweni, Nkowankowa, Times Live, 16 August 2013

The Zwelinzima Vavi saga has served once again to illustrate the dirty double standards that the ANC, its affiliates and supporters so happily apply.

The usual methods have been used to punish and gag Vavi while drooling investigators attempt to probe the precise nature of the sins committed in that office.

We cannot but recall that the adulterous "Zuma zip problems" led to nothing but a mild embarrassment for our president - and now he's happily running for another term in office while his young HIV-positive erstwhile sex-friend has "disappeared" - to who knows where. The shower Jacob Zuma had after sex with her seems to have served the purpose of "washing her away" altogether.

I suggest Vavi should find that "magic shower" and spend a few hours soaping himself down. Vavi would be a great South African president given the choices we have available. Give him a chance. - Cliff Saunders, Northcliff

IT IS disturbing to learn about the Sadtu president Thobile Ntola's suspension by the teachers' union ("Sadtu president first Vavi casualty", August14). This shows the lengths to which those who are against Zwelinzima Vavi are prepared to go.

I do not condone what Vavi has done, but I'm afraid we might lose a much-needed voice in politics.

Vavi has been an independent voice within the tripartite alliance, especially when it comes to speaking against corruption.

The biggest problem here is Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini. His blind protection of President Jacob Zuma has made him the greatest sellout to ever lead Cosatu.

He has completely lost the ideology behind how an organisation championing the plight of the poor and the working class should go about doing its work.

I call upon all ordinary South Africans, grassroots Cosatu and Sadtu members to reject the move to silence Vavi and Ntola with all the contempt it deserves.

We can't allow the looting of state resources to continue without any opposition. - L Sipuka, Butterworth

THE biggest loser in the whole Vavi saga is Cosatu. The credibility and integrity of the federation has been damaged beyond repair.

It matters little whether Vavi has been suspended or placed on indefinite leave, the way the saga has been handled points to too much political point-scoring rather a genuine will to resolve the matter.

The centre is not holding at Cosatu house and it is a matter of time before the federation becomes irrelevant to its constituency.

__________

Vavi faces more hearings, possible sanctions

Khuthala Nandipha, M&G, 15 August 2013

·         Zwelinzima Vavi has been released from all his official duties as general secretary of Cosatu pending an investigation.

At a press conference at Cosatu House on Thursday, acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalinsthali said they cannot say what the possible sanctions will be for Vavi as only the chairperson of the hearing can decide. An independent investigation, made up of a series of disciplinary hearings, will be conducted by Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo. A full report is expected to be presented during the normal central executive committee meeting on September 16.

Vavi and the female employee who accused him of sexual harassment were on Wednesday put on special leave. This follows Vavi’s admission of guilt to having sex with a junior staff member at the federation’s headquarters. He again admitted his guilt during Wednesday's special central executive committee meeting.

"His admission of guilt proves that there is no political conspiracy here, he admitted his own misconduct. There is no animosity between any two leaders in this situation. We will afford Vavi and the lady the opportunity to present their case and answer charges," said Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini.

Cosatu's second deputy president Zingiswa Losi attacked both the media and the public for trampling all over the rights of the woman involved in the case. "While your focus was skewed towards Vavi, you stripped her naked and speculated that she was being used, giving her a political motivation," she said.

She also asked both parties be treated equally and fairly going forward.

Dlamini clarified that the special meeting was constitutionally convened, was quorate and was attended by all leaders of Cosatu-affiliated unions, despite calls from the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) and the South Africa Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) to have it cancelled as they deemed unconstitutional and unnecessary.

Numsa’s persistent unhappiness about the meeting, according to Dlamini, was noted.

'Not in denial'
Dlamini reiterated that Cosatu is not in denial of their challenges, but stressed that there is a bigger need to work towards the unity of the federation. "Our challenge is how best to build Cosatu and remain the workers' anchor. It is dangerous to continue to perpetuate and to drive a wedge between leaders because that serves to help the enemies of Cosatu."

The national office bearers that addressed the conference admitted that no organisation is 100% united. "But after this page has been turned, we need to go back to the responsibilities of campaigning against unemployment and poverty," said Dlamini.

On Thursday morning, Vavi took to Twitter to share his disappointment at his suspension. "I committed an error and have profusely apologised ... I am relieved so many have accepted that apology and recognise that some remain unforgiving. I know others are celebrating and rubbing salt," he said before promising to have more to say at a later stage.

The date for the first disciplinary hearing has not been set yet. Meanwhile he is allowed into the Cosatu building under special arrangements in line with Cosatu’s constitution.

__________

Cosatu: divided and disorganised-Trade unions

Troye Lund, Financial Mail, 15 August 2013

Disagreement  over how to deal with Zwelinzima Vavi's sexual indiscretion has the spotlight on divisions in Cosatu. Troye Lund assesses the state of the trade union federation

In its 28-year existence Cosatu has weathered numerous storms, but the latest, a sex scandal involving general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, is proving the most contentious.

It has also prompted a breakaway threat by its largest affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa). As it battles to contain factionalism, Cosatu is losing members, largely because it s leaders have become career unionists who are out of touch with shop-floor issues. At the heart of its problems of diminishing credibility and growing divisions is its relationship with the ANC.

Vavi is angry that the ANC expects Cosatu to campaign for it ahead of elections but does not allow it to influence government policy in return. However, Vavi's dissatisfaction with the ANC is not shared by all Cosatu leaders. Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini is part of a faction that wants Vavi to tone down his criticism of the ANC and government or leave his post.

Differences between the ANC and Cosatu and among its leaders are not new or unusual. But Cosatu's decision to back Jacob Zuma's bid to become ANC president in 2007 at its Polokwane conference changed the nature of its relationship with the ANC and polarised members.

Cosatu specifically backing Zuma changed its party dynamics

Mbhazima Shilowa, who was Cosatu general secretary before Vavi, says backing Zuma was unprecedented. "Instead of offering broad support to the ANC, Cosatu intervened and backed a specific individual," Shilowa says.

This paved the way for affiliates to take sides in internal ANC disagreements. "When I was general secretary, I had many disagreements with federation president John Gomomo. But affiliates didn't take sides. Getting Cosatu back from the brink now will depend on its leadership," he says. Cosatu's backing for Zuma was influenced by its feeling marginalised by former president Thabo Mbeki. It also believed Zuma would elevate it to an equal partner in the ruling tripartite alliance and adopt a major shift in economic policy.

But Cosatu's backing for Zuma proved to be more opportunistic than ideological.Initially things looked rosy when Zuma created a new economic development post in cabinet and made former SA Clothing & Textile Workers Union general secretary Ebrahim Patel the minister. While Cosatu celebrated the prospect of its new influence, Patel's economic plan, dubbed the new growth path, has taken a back seat to the National Development Plan (NDP). Cosatu has rejected the NDP as the kind of "neo-liberal" economic policy that was supposed to have been ousted with Mbeki. The NDP is driven by planning minister Trevor Manuel who, together with Mbeki, promoted the growth, employment & redistribution policy (Gear), which Cosatu opposed.

UCT political scientist Zwelethu Jolobe says Vavi was unrealistic to expect that supporting Zuma in Polokwane would result in a payback for Cosatu. "The ANC fights elections as the ANC, not as the alliance. Giving Cosatu the kind of influence Vavi expected would be to enter into a more formal coalition with it. This would mean that the ANC would have to give up some power. It won't do that. Whether or not Cosatu campaigns for it is inconsequential. It knows it can get votes outside Cosatu," he says.

Vavi was quickly disillusioned by Zuma and has been strident in his criticism of his administration. Cosatu warned that it wouldn't again make the mistake of signing a "blank cheque" by supporting an ANC leader who didn't change policy. But it did exactly this at the ANC's 2012 conference in Mangaung, when it backed Zuma for a second term. The reason is simple.

It was caught off guard by the illegal strike at Lonmin's Marikana mine near Rustenburg where clashes with police ended in 44 deaths. Cosatu's then biggest affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), was accused of being too close to government and business and out of touch with workers' issues. The NUM lost members to the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union (Amcu ), which is led by former NUM member Joseph Mathunjwa and which soon replaced the NUM as the majority union on SA's platinum mines. Workers in the transport sector also went on wildcat strikes.

Membership determines revenue

For unions, membership equals revenue. With about 300000 members, the NUM collects about R13m in subscriptions every month and contributes about R800000 to Cosatu each month.

The NUM's membership has since dropped to about 280000 while Numsa's is around 320000. Cosatu's elective congress was held a few weeks after Marikana. It was supposed to elect new leadership to play a decisive role in the ANC's Mangaung conference. Affiliates were divided over Zuma's bid for a second term with Vavi and Cosatu's then second-biggest affiliate, Numsa, leading the campaign to have Zuma replaced. Dlamini and the NUM campaigned against Vavi.

But the showdown never happened as a day before the conference a deal was made disallowing contests for posts, so all national office-bearers were returned to office.After Zuma was elected for a second term Vavi resumed a vocal campaign against government corruption and its economic policy failures. He called on Cosatu leaders to assert their independence in the fight for policy change. "Independence is important; you should have that right to determine your destiny, and not give it to someone next door," he warned in May this year. Vavi's tirades embarrassed the ANC and Zuma's supporters in Cosatu and the SA Communist Party accused him of behaving more like a member of the opposition than of the ruling alliance.

But Cosatu is finding it more difficult to justify the way it's being treated by the ANC, which is under pressure to shore up investor confidence in the economy. Zuma and other ANC officials have repeatedly assured investors that he wouldn't make any policy shifts and that the NDP would underpin all government decisions. Cosatu continues to oppose the plan.

Cosatu's campaign to have labour brokers banned appears to have waned. When the ANC threatened to push through clauses in the bill that would require unions to ballot members before going on strike, Cosatu softened its stance. The final bills don't include the ballot requirement and they limit rather than ban brokers.

Cosatu's campaign against e-tolls on Gauteng highways pitted it against the ANC but now looks set to fizzle out. Newly formed political parties, the Economic Freedom Fighters and the Workers & Socialist Party (Wasp), expect that workers who leave Cosatu are unlikely to support the ANC in next year's general elections, and they hope to capitalise on that.

Wasp member Liv Shange, whom ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe recently blamed for the unrest in the mining sector, says: "Our impression from rank and file [Cosatu] members is disillusionment, especially among younger workers. There's a frustration about union representatives being disinterested. Their passive disgruntlement is shifting very rapidly to an active search for alternatives."

This worries the ANC, which relies on Cosatu to promote it among workers. Vavi says there's growing impatience among workers who aren't getting enough of a return for their support of the ANC and Cosatu. He has promised to become more vocal about worker issues. Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim says he's sure that Vavi's detractors "will stop at nothing" to ensure he goes.

"His detractors believe that if you sort him out, you will sort out government detractors. It's clear that they'll stop at nothing to liquidate him politically," Jim told the FM.

Union leaders benefit from links with ANC

Despite the criticisms, Cosatu leaders have benefited from their alliance with the ANC, which provides a conduit for those wanting to enter politics. Many former unionists have benefited from empowerment deals and the investment companies of Cosatu affiliates can win tenders and be part of black economic empowerment deals.

For those wanting to remain in the trade union movement, remuneration is not too shabby - unionists in top leadership positions now get market-related packages aimed at retaining them. NUM's general secretary, Frans Baleni, for example, secured a R1,4m annual package last year.

The 1997 September Commission, which examined Cosatu's role in a democratic SA, warned against unions becoming a bureaucracy that provided incentives to officials to use their positions as a stepping stone to business or politics.

Part of the malaise in the trade union movement has to do with "career unionists" who have full-time jobs in unions and enjoy the benefits of a car and other perks without necessarily working on the shop floor. Their priorities then change to securing re-election and rising up the union's ranks.

Sakhela Buhlungu, who was part of the September Commission, war ned in 2010 that Cosatu's proximity to power was having the "unintended" effect of making it lazy. Cosatu was outraged and banned Buhlungu from its meetings. Vavi is now echoing Buhlungu's concerns.

"Different lifestyles and material realities are creating a leadership that isn't fully in tune with what members are facing," he told Cosatu's congress last year. He said there was a growing perception among workers that corruption was increasing and that unionists were "selling them out".

Should the alliance with ANC end?

The question that Cosatu is asked repeatedly is whether it should end its alliance with the ANC. "It's our duty to defend unity," says Jim. But what happens when the price of unity is paralysis and membership losses?

"The best way to resolve this is to convene a special congress and ask members what the best way forward is for the federation," says Jim. Numsa was the last Cosatu affiliate to abandon a campaign to form a workers' party. If this idea is revived and if, as is being proposed in some union circles, Vavi and Jim lead an exodus from Cosatu and the ANC, the majority of Cosatu's membership isn't likely to follow. Cosatu's demographics have changed in 28 years and most members are no longer blue-collar workers but older and white-collar.

Most of them are employed by the state, which means it's in their interests to remain loyal to the ANC.

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Cry, the beloved country; cry, the beloved federation

Jay Naidoo. Daily Maverick, 16 August 2013

 

As the anniversary of the Marikana massacre dawns, this week has also seen the anniversary of one of the watershed moments in the resistance movement during the 1980s – also led by the workers. One can only hope that this latest watershed can be managed by extraordinary leadership that can guide us to much-needed development in our country, without further bloodshed.

Two events, separated by two-and-a-half decades, define our journey to democracy.

One year ago I wrote: “The headlines scream, 'Marikana Massacre'; 'Killing Fields of Rustenburg'. Radio and TV Talk shows and social media all display the anger and expose the psyche of a nation badly wounded. The bloodiest security operation since the end of Apartheid has left us shocked and asking what went wrong. The reality is, many things went wrong. Way too many things went wrong, for way too long now.”

I journey back to 1987, the year of worker discontent. It had been less than a decade since black workers had a legal right to join trade unions. Starting from small beginnings the various strands had come together into a fighting force united by the repression of a brutal regime and the exploding anger against an arbitrary and exploitative cheap labour system, ruled by an authoritarian management system.

Cosatu, barely two years old, the product of painstaking discussions, did not have the luxury of birth pangs. Its launch prophecy, to “rise like a giant to confront all that stood in its way”, had become a magnet for workers. It plunged into battle.

The country was on fire. Tens of thousands of retail and railway workers had launched rolling mass action that year, fuelled by the Cosatu Living Wage campaign. Seeing Cosatu as the most serious internal threat to its power, the Apartheid state, masterminded by its Minister of Police, imploded our headquarters in one of the most powerful explosive blasts, hoping to permanently disrupt our logistics and organisational capacity. But we were undeterred. We would not be cowed.

Years of organisation building, education training had built an army of tens of thousands of Cosatu shop stewards connected by an umbilical cord to needs, aspirations and hopes of workers on the shop floor. We were ready. We stood fist to fist ready to slug it out in spite of many leaders being victimised, detained and offices bombed. Our survival was driven from the ground. We did not run our organisation through press conferences. There was no twitter or Facebook.

9 August 1987 was a cold morning. The frost hung in the air like a second skin. We were tense. It was our moment of storming the Bastille of Apartheid. A total of 360,000 mine workers marched over the shaft floor in disciplined regiments. What followed in the next 21 days shook the foundations of Apartheid. Close to 50,000 workers were dismissed and shipped back to the homelands and SADC region, their leaders blacklisted forever. This was our life. Going on strike often meant that or death. It was a conscious choice.

While we lost the battle, it was a watershed that would define the war and the eventual negotiations process. The system was ready to implode. A political stalemate had been reached, on the shop floor and in the country. Our choice was a descent into a full-scale racial civil war of a scorched earth or a political negotiation.

Thankfully, guided by the extraordinary leadership of Nelson Mandela on our side, we chose the latter.

Turn the clock 25 years to August 16, 2012, and what we have is Marikana. It is the pinnacle of a growing ferment in our land. The people in our workplaces, townships, rural areas and squatter camps are bitter that democracy has not delivered the fruits that they see a tiny elite enjoying. Our leaders across the spectrum are not talking to our people, they are not working with them systematically to solve their problems, in providing the hope that one day, even in their children’s lives, things will be better. It is a debilitating threat not from enemies outside, but those who lurk within our bosom.

Thousands of workers are deserting our Cosatu unions. They have last trust in their branch leaders. I have been in many places where I am personally told: “Comrade, we do not see union organisers. We don’t know what is happening in our union. Our leaders are too involved in politics and we do not get the services and education we did in the past.”

It is true. Union leadership is more engaged in looking up to the political jockeying than down to the base of its members where its real strength on the shop floor gives it voice. We cannot hide the disunity and divisions that cripple Cosatu today.

Alongside millions of South Africans I feel bitterly disappointed. There is a deep-seated anger growing in the country. And yet the leaders are not at the coal face. People feel robbed of their voices and powerless.

In the absence of strong, legitimate political organisation in the communities, they see violence as the only language their leaders will listen to. It’s is a vicious cycle that sees our people burning down any institution representing the state, whether a school, a library or a public building.

Marikana is but a festering sore on the body politic of our country. These are not issues that a judicial commission will resolve. It requires political action first and foremost from our political and union leaders. There are some tough choices to make.

Like we had in the 1990`s, to set up a National Peace Accord to deal with a torrent of violence as covert forces sought to destabilise the transition. It was a roadmap based on a set of political principles that established freedom of speech and assembly. But it had the structures that brought together the contesting parties and the state especially the security forces. We had a roadmap that instilled confidence in our communities, compelled us to work together in structures that brought the key protagonists together and created a battalion of peace monitors drawn from all parties that ensured we isolated those who sought to deepen the divisions amongst our people.

My greatest fear is that the massacre at Marikana has become the watershed of our post-Apartheid journey. It has wrought untold physical, financial and psychological damage on all sides and on our social fabric. But if this is not acknowledged and we continue our drift towards the shrill language of divisive finger pointing and muddled leadership and we will end up where we were in 1990.

My greatest hope is that in these extraordinary times, we ask that extraordinary leaders rise from our ranks and take those extraordinary actions to put our country back to the path we set to deliver the better life that we promised our people in 1994. As the proverbial Phoenix, we will rise from burning ashes of broken promises and rebuild the trust with our citizens. And to do this with the absence of political arrogance and with a humility and an honesty that compels us to serve not the interests of leaders but the interests of our people.

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Vavi released and unplugged: Now for the fight back

Ranjeni Munusamy, Daily Maverick, 16 August 2013

Zwelinzima Vavi was officially “released from his duties” as Cosatu general secretary on Thursday, pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing into his alleged misconduct (Zuma was “relieved” of his duties as Deputy President in 2005, in case you're wondering). So for at least a month, Vavi should be cooling his heels and pondering his future. Well, that was the intention. But Vavi is determined to prove the conspiracy against him and keep the heat on his enemies. He will hold a media briefing on Friday to do precisely that. Stay tuned for a lot more sizzling fat in this particular fire. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.

Suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi isn’t really giving anybody the chance to miss him from the public space. He was not at the Cosatu media briefing on Thursday when the federation’s national office bearers announced that both he and the woman who accused him of rape were being placed on special leave and would face a disciplinary hearing in relation to the sexual encounter between them at the Cosatu headquarters in January. But he tweeted several times to his 100,000 followers on Twitter, including during the media briefing, and announced late Thursday that he would be addressing a media briefing on Friday.

The decision to suspend Vavi was taken by the Cosatu central executive committee (CEC) which held a marathon meeting on Tuesday to discuss the matter. The special CEC turned out to be yet another showdown between Vavi’s allies and detractors, with affiliates such as metalworkers union Numsa trying by all means possible to block any action against Vavi, including questioning the constitutionality of the meeting.

However, after Vavi admitted at the meeting to having sex with the woman and apologised for his actions, the majority view prevailed that there should be a disciplinary process to investigate what happened and determine possible sanctions.

Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini, who led the Thursday's media briefing and maintained a sombre expression throughout, denied enmity between him and Vavi. He said “there were no losers and no winners” at the meeting and repeatedly stressed that the unity of Cosatu remained of paramount importance.

“His admission of guilt proves that there is no political conspiracy here. He admitted his own misconduct,” Dlamini said. He said it was unfortunate that the matter was being defined as part of the political and ideological differences in Cosatu.

Cosatu deputy general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali, who takes over the running of the federation during Vavi’s absence, said Vavi made a statement to the CEC confirming his “misjudgement” and apologised. He said Vavi had told the meeting “Don't try to protect me. Look at the principles of the federation which are to be respected”.

The Cosatu leadership now has to appoint an “independent” person to chair the disciplinary hearing where both Vavi and the woman will be given a chance to defend themselves. The other investigations into alleged financial impropriety and misconduct in the running of Cosatu’s affairs are still in progress and the findings are scheduled to be discussed at the next Cosatu CEC in mid-September.

On the face of it, it looks as if Cosatu is walking the tightrope, trying to deal with the moral and political dilemma the case presents by the book and to make sure that the process is fair to both parties. But the situation is already a powder keg with Numsa, Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) and municipal workers union (Samwu) rebelling against the suspension in light of their belief of a bigger conspiracy to get rid of Vavi and muzzle Cosatu politically.

Despite Vavi’s commitment to co-operate in the disciplinary hearing, there appears to be a parallel mission in his camp to show that the process is already contaminated and unfair. Vavi and his supporters also appear to be bogged down in the intricacies of the current crisis and do not appear to have considered the end game. Vavi’s haste to convene a media briefing the day after his suspension was announced means that he has not given himself the time to consider the consequences and is consumed with the fight back.

Many of Vavi’s sympathisers in Cosatu, in the alliance and in civil society do believe he can bounce back from this episode if he plays his cards strategically. Some think there is still a chance for him to remain in Cosatu, although severely damaged by all the allegations against him. Others believe that he could lead a breakaway workers movement in the event of a split in Cosatu, or a civil society front in which he could champion all the issues he is passionate about: worker struggles, anti-corruption, poverty alleviation and disparities, as well as service delivery failures.

Political analyst Vukani Mde says, like former Cosatu president Willie Madisha found out in 2008, it is quite difficult to run a one-man campaign to create a rival worker movement out of nothing.

“Vavi is not obtuse or arrogant enough to believe he can do that on his own. He will need the organisational muscle of sections of Cosatu and unions like Numsa and others to get such a thing going,” Mde said.

The danger with Vavi subjecting himself to all the investigations in the hope of clearing his name is that he could end up being dismissed. Mde says the political play to rein Vavi in or silence him cannot be disregarded in how the disciplinary process unfolds.

“No matter how contrite he is, the need to have him punished will be a factor. The fact that he apologised does not lessen the guilt. It remains to be seen to what extent the disciplinary hearing is independent as there are degrees of independence. This will determine the outcome and punishment meted out,” Mde said.

Irrespective of the outcome of the disciplinary process, Vavi still has strong prospects for a political future. Mde says sexual misconduct is “not a very serious crime in our body politic”, as President Jacob Zuma’s experiences have shown. He said there might be bigger obstacles in Vavi’s way if the current investigations into corruption turned up “anything usable”.

Vavi’s future within Cosatu might be difficult but is not unsalvageable, Mde says. “He is also still a member of the ANC and SACP with a solid political constituency. He can go out on the stump and deliver votes for the ANC. As much as he is a nuisance and loose cannon, the ANC would not want him outside the fold.”

While Vavi’s future in Cosatu and the alliance might seem untenable now, there could also be leadership changes in the future, which could change the dynamic. “Anything is possible between now and 2017 (when the next ANC elective conference takes place),” Mde said.

For now, Vavi appears to be responding to developments as they happen. The two most prominent examples of leaders in the alliance who faced similar stresses are Zuma and former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema. Zuma maintained his silence publicly and let others fight his battles while he pulled the strings behind the scenes. Malema raged in the media about the conspiracy against him, kicked up a din wherever he went and made sure he remained in the public spotlight.

Zuma survived and triumphed. Malema did not.

There is something to be said for political strategy and planning your moves. Vavi will be well advised to take heed of this. 

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How will the unions handle Vavi-gate?-Trade unions

Natasha Marrian Financial Mail, 15 August 2013

There has been a common thread in several recent disputes within the tripartite alliance: rivals often stack up according to positions adopted by either the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) or the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa).

How to deal with Zwelinzima Vavi's indiscretion is the latest. In the run-up to the ANC's elective conference in Mangaung, the NUM was part of the pro-Zuma faction while Numsa endorsed him only at the last minute, and after its general secretary Irvin Jim had suggested a change was needed, indicating reluctant support. The NUM supports the "spirit and intent" of the National Development Plan (NDP) and is not in favour of nationalising SA's mines while Numsa has been vitriolic in its rejection of the NDP and wants mines nationalised.

But relations between Cosatu's two largest affiliates were not always acrimonious.Former Cosatu president Willie Madisha describes the relationship as strong in the past and hardly adversarial, particularly when ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe was the NUM general secretary and Enoch Godongwana his counterpart at Numsa. The two unions often led Cosatu campaigns, he says.

Over the past six years the relationship between the titans of Cosatu has soured to such a degree that the NUM labelled Numsa the "enemy within". The NUM claims that Numsa "hijacks" Cosatu campaigns and that it is "locked in a faction" with Vavi, making it difficult for the Cosatu general secretary to discipline the union. Numsa denies this and wants an apology from the NUM.

Jim says the rift is unfortunate as the two unions united would be a formidable force. "When you say we are the enemy within, basically you are messing with the unity of workers and that unity is sacrosanct," he says.

"There is a huge attempt to present Numsa as an enemy to curtail its influence. They are not willing to debate with us and hear what we are saying." Some of the rivalry is understood to stem from the NUM leadership race in 2006 when Mantashe stepped down as general secretary. Senior leaders in the unions say that then Numsa general secretary Silumko Nondwangu preferred Baleni's competitor, Archie Phalane, to take over from Mantashe. Baleni was pro-Zuma and had been endorsed by Mantashe.

Then there are historical differences which set them apart but, in a less charged political environment, would not divide them. Numsa emerged from a "workerist" background, making it reluctant to form alliances with political parties while the NUM has always had a close relationship with the ANC and the SA Communist Party. Since 1990, NUM general secretaries have become secretary-generals of the ANC.

NUM officials were often leaders of multiple organisations - Mantashe for instance was SACP chairman while general secretary. There has been an in-principle agreement that the NUM and Numsa should merge; nothing has been done about that. Instead they are battling for turf, for instance at Eskom.

Baleni says the NUM has reported to Vavi instances in mines in KwaZulu Natal, Rustenburg and the Eastern Cape where Numsa has poached its members. A bilateral meeting was scheduled between the two, but did not take place.

He says the NUM had also raised the issue of the merger but got a "cold shoulder"."Basically, it would be inappropriate to start with those things [the merger] because people are at a cruising point now. They are saying we are getting there, let's just leave them [the NUM] and they will have a natural death," he says.

The clash between the NUM and Numsa over Vavi's future appears to be their worst.Jim is a staunch backer of Vavi while Baleni is part of the bloc working to remove him. In 2009, the two were prepared to contest elections for the post of Cosatu general secretary but Vavi reversed his decision to not stand for election, averting a battle at the ballot box. Baleni and Jim have different leadership styles. While Jim is an outspoken Marxist, who is sometimes reckless with his public utterances, he is seen as a smooth political operator.

Baleni is seen as a strategist and more of a manager than a rabble rouser; his PowerPoint presentations are unmatched in the federation. Numsa is highly critical of the ANC while the NUM is less so. It was in 2010 at the ANC's national general council that the differences between the two unions emerged starkly - Baleni cautioned against the nationalisation of mines, saying it would cause huge job losses, while Jim argued for adoption of the policy.

The NUM was also suspicious of the motives of those pushing for nationalisation - at the time they included former ANC youth league leader Julius Malema, who had also started calling for a change in ANC leadership. Numsa's endorsement of nationalisation led many to believe that it was in cahoots with Malema, but it denied this, arguing that nationalisation was a Cosatu policy.

Since the expulsion of Malema, Numsa and Jim have been the lone voices championing nationalisation within the ruling alliance. The NUM's unhappiness with Vavi could also stem from what it sees as Vavi's failure to rein in Numsa when it poached NUM members at Eskom.

In the midst of its dispute with Numsa, the NUM threatened to withhold its subscription fees to Cosatu, which are sizeable. Both unions have successful investment firms and substantial assets, which could also explain their reluctance to merge.

Numsa's growing membership - it now has 320000 while the NUM has about 280000 - has made it Cosatu's largest affiliate and payer of dues. The NUM has experienced a sharp drop in membership since last year, after the Marikana tragedy, when it was dethroned as the majority union along the platinum belt in the North West by the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union.

Numsa is keen to use its numerical advantage in the ongoing battle to defend Vavi. Should he be removed or sanctioned Numsa may withhold subscriptions if members endorse such a move at a special congress in December.

It will also discuss whether it should organise workers from sectors across the economy, which would be a deviation from Cosatu's one sector, one union policy and put it in conflict with several Cosatu affiliates.

Numsa says it will get guidance from members on whether or not to break away from Cosatu. It is arguing that the "onslaught" on Vavi is politically motivated and that his opponents want to rein in the federation and turn it into a "labour desk" of the ANC.

As the NUM is likely to continue to lose members, Numsa is expected to remain Cosatu's largest affiliate in the foreseeable future, if it stays within the federation. As the dominant union, Numsa could then potentially push for the merger with the NUM, setting off another round of disputes.

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Legitimacy of Cosatu meeting questioned

Govan Whittles, EWN, 15 August 2013
JOHANNESBURG - The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) says there are still serious questions around the legitimacy of a meeting held by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) that led to General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi's suspension.

Vavi, who has been General Secretary for nearly 13 years, was suspended during the trade union federation's Central Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting was called to decide whether action should be taken against Vavi for having sex with a younger Cosatu employee, who initially accused him of rape. 

He has also been accused of hiring the woman through improper procedures.

Fawu’s Katishi Masemola says it's unclear if the meeting was called by Cosatu's national office bearers or the affiliates.

Either way, it will now attempt to nullify the entire process.

Masemola says the union’s senior leadership will be meeting on Sunday to discuss a way forward.

“We have convened an urgent meeting on Sunday, at which we will be weighing the options of what kind of action we should take in getting the meeting we are saying is unconstitutional to be nullified.”

Fawu, along with the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) have thrown their support behind Vavi over the last few days. 

His allies have expressed concern that the decision could cause a rift within Cosatu that might see some unions leave. 

A split in Cosatu could lead to a major realignment in South African politics as it seems unlikely those unions would still support the ANC.

Already, leaders of Numsa said they will ask their members to discuss leaving Cosatu at their December conference.

A rift could also lead to more instability in the country’s industrial relations as it will cause unions to compete with each other more often.

Samwu general secretary Walter Theledi said he believes there are attempts within the union to oust Vavi. 

“We believe that there is probably a concerted effort to get rid of our General Secretary.”

Numsa said on Monday that those who want to take action against Vavi for having sex with a younger Cosatu employee are politically motivated.

Numsa's Deputy General Secretary Karl Cloete said this issue has the potential to completely divide Cosatu.

“Unless we handle things maturely, comradely and properly, there is indeed all the possibility of a split in Cosatu.”

(Edited by Gia Kaplan)

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Ntshalintshali to take over Vavi's role

SAPA, Sowetan, 16 August 2013

After lengthy discussion, the [CEC] meeting agreed to conduct a full investigation into the allegations and to ask both the general secretary and the staff member to attend disciplinary hearings.

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has been released of all his duties, the trade union federation said on Thursday.

Its executive said he had been put on special leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to an affair he had with a junior Congress of SA Trade Unions woman employee.

"[Vavi] has been released from all his official duties as the general secretary during this period of investigation until such time that the outcome of the [disciplinary] hearing is known," deputy general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali told reporters in Johannesburg.

"He's suspended in terms of given leave... any employee of any organisation, when you are suspended, then there are arrangements made in terms of coming to a work place."

Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini announced earlier that Vavi at been placed on special leave after a special central executive committee (CEC) meeting.

"After lengthy discussion, the [CEC] meeting agreed to conduct a full investigation into the allegations and to ask both the general secretary and the staff member to attend disciplinary hearings," Dlamini said.

"The meeting insisted that everybody involved must be treated equally and that the process will be conducted in a free and fair manner, in full compliance with the Cosatu constitution."

The hearing would be chaired by an independent person. Ntshalintshali would take over Vavi's role.

Last month, a junior Cosatu employee accused Vavi of rape. He admitted to having a consensual affair with her. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him. The CEC met in Johannesburg on Wednesday to decide on possible sanctions against Vavi.

Earlier, National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim said Wednesday's CEC meeting was unconstitutional.

Jim said Numsa, a strong Vavi ally, was "feeling very bad about what has happened" to the general secretary.

Dlamini said it was agreed on Wednesday that the CEC meeting was properly constituted.

"The expressions of Numsa that, even after the meeting had satisfied itself that it was properly constituted... they remained convinced that it was not, is recorded in the minutes, but also is recorded that the meeting agreed that it was properly constituted."

Dlamini said it was agreed that every individual involved in the matter had to respect Cosatu's internal processes.

"[The] issues must only be communicated to media by national office bearers."

Cosatu second deputy president Zingiswa Losi said a date for Vavi's disciplinary hearing had not been set because the decision was taken late on Wednesday. A letter was only sent to Vavi on Thursday morning, before the news briefing, she said.

Regarding the length of Vavi's special leave, Losi said the CEC decided that at its next meeting on September 16 a report should be ready.

"Which will then mean from now until that time of the central executive committee meeting it will be four weeks that we have to ensure that an independent... person or persons from outside the federation will be able to listen to the processes of that disciplinary hearing," she said.

There had been claims by those supporting Vavi that the allegations against him were part of a political conspiracy and that people were trying to silence Vavi because he was too outspoken. Dlamini denied this.

"There is no way it can be a political conspiracy issue. We urge our members and leaders to contend with the fact that our duty as leaders, as affiliates, is to work internally and strengthen the federation."

He denied claims that Cosatu was imploding.

"Our focus is to ensure there is no split in the federation... [it] becomes more and more critical."

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Cosatu announces Vavi inquiry

Belinda Moses, EWN, 16 August 2013

JOHANNESBURG – The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has announced its general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, and the staff member he had an extra-marital affair with will now go through a disciplinary process and have the chance to state their cases.

The union says both have been placed on special leave but many view the sanctions as being indefinite suspensions. 

Speaking in Johannesburg on Thursday, Cosatu President Sdumo Dlamini said Wednesday night's marathon meeting in which Vavi was sanctioned was constitutionally convened.

Vavi, who has been general secretary for nearly 13 years, admitted to having what he says was consensual sex with the younger Cosatu employee. The woman withdrew her complaint after initially accused him of rape.

He has also been accused of hiring the woman through improper procedures.

Although Dlamini said the Central Executive Committee meeting was lengthy he wouldn’t go into exactly what was discussed. 

He said the matter was still very sensitive and the disciplinary committee would decide what charges Vavi would face.

He didn’t give a date for when that process would start but emphasised that everyone involved must be treated equally.

REACTION DIVIDED

Meanwhile, the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) said there were still serious questions around the legitimacy of the meeting.

Fawu’s Katishi Masemola said it was unclear if it was called by Cosatu's national office bearers or by affiliates.

Masemola said his union would now attempt to nullify the entire process. He added the union’s senior leadership would meet on Sunday to discuss a way forward.

“We have convened an urgent meeting on Sunday at which we will be weighing the options of what kind of action we should take in getting the meeting we are saying is unconstitutional to be nullified.”

Fawu, the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) have thrown their support behind Vavi over the last few days.

His allies have expressed concern that the decision to discipline Vavi could cause a rift within Cosatu that might see some unions breaking away from the federation. 

A split in Cosatu could lead to a major realignment in South African politics as it seems unlikely those unions would still support the ANC.

Leaders of Numsa have already said they would ask their members to discuss leaving Cosatu at their December conference.

A rift could also lead to more instability in the country’s industrial relations as it will cause unions to compete with each other more often.

(Edited by Craig Wynn)

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Give Cosatu space: ANC

SAPA, Sowetan, 16 August 2013

Cosatu must be given the space to deal with problems facing the trade union federation, the ANC said on Thursday.

"The African National Congress has noted the decision of the central executive committee of the Congress of SA Trade Unions to grant special leave to their general secretary, comrade Zwelinzima Vavi... pending the outcome of a disciplinary process," spokesman Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.

"The ANC respects the right of the federation to its internal processes to deal with all matters affecting it and thus the ANC will await the outcome of the disciplinary process to be instituted."

Cosatu on Thursday announced it had placed Vavi on special leave following a central executive committee (CEC) meeting. This was after a junior Cosatu employee accused Vavi of rape last month. He admitted to having a consensual affair with her. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him.

The CEC met in Johannesburg on Wednesday to decide on possible sanctions against Vavi. The ANC called on all those involved in the matter to respect the Cosatu's internal processes and refrain from discussing the matter in the public domain.

The Democratic Left said it expected that Cosatu would suspend Vavi.

"It is obvious that the rapid and determined way some in the CEC went about taking up this issue is part of the bigger campaign to rid Cosatu of Vavi's leadership," it said in a statement.

__________

Vavi suspension ‘was legitimate’

Business Report, 16 August 2013

The special meeting on Wednesday of Cosatu’s central executive committee that suspended general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi was properly convened, Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini said yesterday.

He said an objection by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA, a strong ally of Vavi, that the meeting had been called unconstitutionally had been minuted.

The meeting discussed the allegations by a staff member at Cosatu’s headquarters that Vavi had sex with her in her office.

In a bland statement, Dlamini said the meeting was convened by the national office bearers of Cosatu, was quorate and was attended by leaders of the federation’s affiliated unions and provincial structures.

Dlamini said: “After a lengthy discussion, the meeting agreed to conduct a full investigation into the allegations and to ask both the general secretary and the staff member to attend disciplinary hearings, chaired by an independent person, at which they would have every opportunity to present their cases and answer charges.”

Dlamini said the committee had insisted that everybody involved must be treated equally and the process would be conducted in a free and fair manner, in full compliance with the constitution of Cosatu. – Wiseman Khuzwayo

____________

Cosatu is no chihuahua; Vavi’s tail doesn’t wag it

Business Report, 16 August 2013

It looks as if Zwelinzima Vavi, the general secretary of Cosatu, who has been ordered by his federation’s bosses to go on paid leave following his shenanigans involving sex with a colleague, won’t be missed by his remaining five colleagues, the national office bearers.

Yesterday they trooped into a press conference almost an hour late to explain that the special meeting of the central executive committee had been convened by them, and not by Bheki Ntshalintshali, Vavi’s deputy, as had been reported.

When they were asked what would happen to the Cosatu campaigns that Vavi had been driving, Zingiswa Losi, the second deputy president, emotionally said the federation was not a chihuahua.

Cosatu was intact and had policies, and these were not Vavi’s. The general secretary merely articulated them and expressed the views of the federation.

Losi is also the one who announced that Vavi had been served with his letter of suspension just before the press conference in the Cosatu headquarters.

Ntshalintshali said Vavi was allowed to come and go from his office as he required, but he could no longer speak on behalf of Cosatu.

Sdumo Dlamini, the president, said Vavi’s responsibilities had not been transferred to anyone.

What is most interesting is that Vavi will still be allowed to take part in the investigation into his alleged involvement in suspected corruption in the sale of the old Cosatu headquarters.

Dlamini denied that Cosatu was in the process of imploding.

“We are spending time building this federation every day. So there is no implosion. We are aware of attempts to split the organisation. That is why the National Union of Mineworkers, the biggest affiliate of Cosatu, is under attack,” he said.

Talk about closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Charges

Further cuts in cellular tariffs could become uncomfortable for smaller players in the industry, according to Zunaid Bulbulia, the chief executive of MTN South Africa.

“There’s a point now where if the likes of Cell C want to go further down, they can’t sustain their business.

“I think they are going to have difficulty in any case to sustain their business on the current pricing,” Bulbulia said on Wednesday, after MTN revealed that it had succumbed to the price war initiated by Cell C’s 99c a minute rate last year.

Last month Telkom Mobile launched a new plan, Sim-Sonke, which offers calls to other networks at a cost of 75c a minute.

MTN, for its part, was not competitive on price terms for the first five months of the year, Bulbulia admitted. But now the price of its average prepaid tariff was comfortably below 90c a minute.

A study published by Research ICT Africa last month revealed that a third interconnection rate cut in March had for the first time enabled smaller operators to drive down telecommunications prices.

The cut forced MTN and Vodacom to introduce a 2c a second tariff, according to the agency.

The interconnection rate, however, from a cost perspective, still lagged behind countries where the regulator enabled competitive pricing pressure by enforcing a cost-based interconnection rate. Cellular operators pay interconnection fees to terminate calls on each others networks.

Another debate facing the dominant operators is Cell C’s call for asymmetrical rates, which would enable the latter to demand higher interconnection fees from the giants.

Bulbulia said this would only create a bubble, which when it burst meant the smaller firms could not survive.

“The only way to sustain competition is to invest in the key pillars that make a business successful: distribution, network and customer experience,” he added.

Textiles

The Southern Africa Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) will count the ballots for its clothing industry strike in Durban today. As of yesterday, the ballot showed almost 86 percent of clothing workers in the Western Cape had voted in favour of the strike.

About 40 000 workers had been balloted in 391 clothing factories by yesterday afternoon. The union said last week that it had settled all other wage disputes in the broader industry and would now turn its focus on the clothing sector.

Wage negotiations between the union and employers’ associations broke down after companies proposed a 7 percent wage increase and an incentive scheme that would allow employees to earn more if they were more productive.

There are other issues that are under dispute in the clothing sector, such as the equal wages suggested by the union for metro and non-metro workers. Currently wages for non-metro workers (like Newcastle) are lower.

Many union leaders have expressed their willingness to strike and clothing workers are unlikely to have voted against the will of their leadership.

It is unclear exactly what a strike would cost the clothing industry, but it is obvious that the sector is under stress.

With the volatility of the rand, imports have become more expensive and the cost of production has soared with the general increase of prices of energy.

The high production costs mean the local industry has little hope of competing with its Chinese counterparts, whose products are cheaper.

A strike of the magnitude of 40 000 workers would hit smaller manufacturers the hardest, according to a South African clothing industry researcher.

The looming industrial action will not only have a negative impact on the economy and the retail sector, but will also serve to intensify the antagonistic nature of the relationship between workers and employers in the country.

Edited by Banele Ginindza with contributions from Wiseman Khuzwayo, Asha Speckman and Zandi Shabalala.

_________

ANC: Be quiet about Vavi

Carien du Plessis @carienduplessis #Vavi15 August 2013

 

The ANC has called on those involved in the disciplinary hearing of suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi not to speak about it in public.

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement issued this afternoon it “noted” the decision by labour federation Cosatu’s central executive committee to place Vavi and the employee he had sex with on special leave.

“The ANC respects the right of the federation to its internal processes to deal with all matters affecting it and thus the ANC will await the outcome of the disciplinary process to be instituted. We trust that these processes will be speedily concluded and the matter soon laid to rest,” Mthembu said.

He also said the ANC hoped that Cosatu would be “afforded the necessary space to address the challenges facing the federation” and that those involved would respect the internal processes.

Vavi has previously been criticised for tweeting out of turn. This morning, he tweeted: “I am relieved so many have accepted that apology and recognize that some remain unforgiving. Know others celebrating and rubbing salt.”

One of his allies, metalworkers’ union boss Irvin Jim, also this morning confirmed Vavi’s suspension before Cosatu’s press conference.

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini earlier admitted that Cosatu’s campaigns were not going the way they should because of the federation’s current troubles.

He also said the labour federation should help the ANC with a “decisive win” in next year’s general elections.

Cosatu decided to suspend Vavi after an all-day meeting yesterday, after he admitted that he had sex with a woman he appointed to work at Cosatu House.

She has also been suspended.

_________

Internal troubles distract Cosatu from election campaign

Carien du Plessis and Sabelo Ndlangisa @City_Press #Cosatu15 August 2013

 

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini during a press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday (August 15 2013). Picture: Elizabeth Sejake/City Press

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini has admitted that the labour federation’s internal troubles were distracting it from its campaigns and next year’s general elections campaign.

He said this after telling journalists at a press conference at Cosatu House today that Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi had been “placed on special leave” pending a disciplinary hearing over his admission that he had sex with a junior employee.

“There are challenges. At this time, our focus should be on our campaigns and ensuring a decisive victory for the ANC next year,” Dlamini said, following yesterday’s 10-hour meeting of Cosatu’s central executive committee, which decided Vavi should be suspended.

But he added that Cosatu had not abandoned its campaigns against e-tolls, labour brokers and achieving “a better life for workers” in the light of Vavi’s suspension.

Dlamini also denied that the charges against Vavi came from those who wanted to see him fall, as his supporters had claimed.

“There is no political conspiracy, even on this matter. There is no way it can be a political conspiracy,” he said.

Numsa has threatened to split from Cosatu over the action against Vavi, which it says is politically motivated.

However, Dlamini said Numsa has not discussed its intentions with its federation.

“The ANC is concerned and is working with us … there can be no split,” Dlamini said.

Dlamini denied allegations that he deferred to Mahlamba Ndlopfu (President Jacob Zuma’s official residence) or to the ANC’s headquarters.

He also said the federation would push for unity, saying this was more important than the current Vavi debacle.

Lawyer Charles Nupen is facilitating an intervention to deal with disunity in the organisation, while a firm of auditors is investigating allegations of wrongdoing in the sale and purchase of Cosatu’s buildings.

The briefing was attended by all Cosatu’s top leaders, excluding Vavi.

Vavi later tweeted that he was in the building, picking up his belongings.

By the end of the briefing, when City Press tried to find him, he had already left, via the basement tuck shop.

Vavi will not be barred from the building while the disciplinary process goes ahead.

Both Vavi and the 26-year-old woman will face disciplinary hearings, Dlamini said.

Cosatu’s acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali would not say what possible sanctions Vavi faces, saying this would be left to an independent disciplinary committee chairperson to decide.

The hearing is expected to be over by the time the federation holds its next central executive committee meeting, where the outcomes of Nupen’s facilitation will be discussed.

___________

After suspension, Vavi tweets apology

Khulekani Magubane, Business Day, 15 August 2013

SUSPENDED Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi took to social networking site Twitter on Thursday to apologise profusely for his sexual indiscretion.

Mr Vavi — who served as the federation’s general secretary for more than 12 years — was suspended after a central executive committee meeting that ran well into Wednesday evening.

National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim confirmed on Thursday that Mr Vavi had been suspended.

An official statement from Cosatu was yet to be released.

A scandal erupted after Mr Vavi admitted to having sex with a younger employee of the trade union federation. The employee in July accused the Cosatu leader of rape but later withdrew her grievance.

"I committed an error & have profusely apologised to everyone hurt by my indiscretion. That was a right thing to do," Mr Vavi tweeted.

Mr Vavi thanked his supporters, adding that he "will say more later". He hinted that he was aware his political foes were celebrating the news of his suspension.

"I am relieved so many have accepted that apology and recognize that some remain unforgiving. Know others celebrating and rubbing salt," he tweeted.

Cosatu is now probing Mr Vavi’s conduct and the process by which the once accuser was employed. As Cosatu affiliates supporting Mr Vavi spar with the African National Congress (ANC) and others critical of the general secretary, the future of Mr Vavi’s political career is uncertain.

Mr Vavi has been vocal in his criticism of the government and corruption in the state. South Africa now waits to see what fate will befall Mr Vavi’s political future and that of the federation, with many saying the latest saga could cause a rift in Cosatu.

Mr Vavi — who has more than 100,000 followers on the Twitter — received a mixed reaction from his followers.

Lead SA ambassador Yusuf Abramjee replied to Mr Vavi’s tweet, asking what the future held for the federation in light of the recent developments.

A Twitter user, Karabo Gabaocoe (@KaraboGabaocoe), replied to Mr Vavi’s tweets, saying: "Accepting that, yours was serious error of judgement and betrayal of faith of your well wishers…shouldn’t you also resign cadre?"

Another Twitter user, Paul Mtirara (@paulmtirara), replied: "you are fully supported sir!"

__________

Numsa deems Vavi suspension as unconstitutional

SABC News, 15 August 2013

Trade union Numsa says it will hold a special meeting soon to discuss what it calls the unconstitutional Cosatu meeting in Johannesburg at which General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi was suspended.

Vavi and the colleague with whom he had an affair with have been placed on special leave. This comes as Cosatu announced that deputy general-secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali will stand-in for Vavi. Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini has denied that the meeting was unconstitutional. He says the meeting was convened by the Cosatu national office bearers, was quorate, and was attended by leaders of Cosatu affiliated unions and provincial structures. Cosatu's Central Executive Committee addressed the media in Johannesburg. The woman involved has also been suspended. Cosatu says both will face disciplinary hearings.

Meanwhile, Cosatu says its campaigns will not falter in the absence of Vavi.  Cosatu's leadership assured the public that its campaigns against labour brokers, e-tolling and for better working conditions, will continue. Cosatu Second Deputy President Zingiswa Losi says Cosatu is not about individuals, Cosatu is not the national office bearers sitting here including Comrade Zweli but Cosatu is a totality of its affiliates, that is the federation. 

"So whether we are here all of us or whether there are new faces altogether the federation has policies and it knows how to take those policies forward. Cosatu will never be a chihuahua, you see a chihuahua is one of those dogs that barks but never bites," says Losi.  

_________

Vavi released of all duties: Cosatu

Sapa, Times Live, 15 August 2013

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has been released of all his duties, the trade union federation said on Thursday.

Its executive said he had been put on special leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to an affair he had with a junior Congress of SA Trade Unions woman employee.

"[Vavi] has been released from all his official duties as the general secretary during this period of investigation until such time that the outcome of the [disciplinary] hearing is known," deputy general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali told reporters in Johannesburg.

"He's suspended in terms of given leave... any employee of any organisation, when you are suspended, then there are arrangements made in terms of coming to a work place."

Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini announced earlier that Vavi at been placed on special leave after a special central executive committee (CEC) meeting.

"After lengthy discussion, the [CEC] meeting agreed to conduct a full investigation into the allegations and to ask both the general secretary and the staff member to attend disciplinary hearings," Dlamini said.

"The meeting insisted that everybody involved must be treated equally and that the process will be conducted in a free and fair manner, in full compliance with the Cosatu constitution."

The hearing would be chaired by an independent person. Ntshalintshali would take over Vavi's role.

Last month, a junior Cosatu employee accused Vavi of rape. He admitted to having a consensual affair with her. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him. The CEC met in Johannesburg on Wednesday to decide on possible sanctions against Vavi.

Earlier, National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim said Wednesday's CEC meeting was unconstitutional.

Jim said Numsa, a strong Vavi ally, was "feeling very bad about what has happened" to the general secretary.

Dlamini said it was agreed on Wednesday that the CEC meeting was properly constituted.

"The expressions of Numsa that, even after the meeting had satisfied itself that it was properly constituted... they remained convinced that it was not, is recorded in the minutes, but also is recorded that the meeting agreed that it was properly constituted."

Dlamini said it was agreed that every individual involved in the matter had to respect Cosatu's internal processes.

"[The] issues must only be communicated to media by national office bearers."

Cosatu second deputy president Zingiswa Losi said a date for Vavi's disciplinary hearing had not been set because the decision was taken late on Wednesday. A letter was only sent to Vavi on Thursday morning, before the news briefing, she said.

Regarding the length of Vavi's special leave, Losi said the CEC decided that at its next meeting on September 16 a report should be ready.

"Which will then mean from now until that time of the central executive committee meeting it will be four weeks that we have to ensure that an independent... person or persons from outside the federation will be able to listen to the processes of that disciplinary hearing," she said.

There had been claims by those supporting Vavi that the allegations against him were part of a political conspiracy and that people were trying to silence Vavi because he was too outspoken. Dlamini denied this.

"There is no way it can be a political conspiracy issue. We urge our members and leaders to contend with the fact that our duty as leaders, as affiliates, is to work internally and strengthen the federation."

He denied claims that Cosatu was imploding.

"Our focus is to ensure there is no split in the federation... [it] becomes more and more critical."

________

Vavi to speak out ‘later’

Qaanitah Hunter, the new age, 15 august 2013

Suspended Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said on Thursday he will speak out on his suspension 'later'.

“Thanks for the support- will say more later,” he tweeted early this morning after Cosatu’s National Office Bearers (NOBs) took a decision to put him on “special leave”.

The officials met for over 10 hours on Wednesday where the decision was taken through "consensus", sources told The New Age. 

The decision was taken in the wake of a public confession by Vavi that he had an extramarital affair with a subordinate at Cosatu House. 

The meeting resolved that Vavi will face a disciplinary committee for placing the organisation into disrepute. 

Vavi also tweeted earlier saying he knows some were “celebrating and rubbing salt” after his suspension.

Cosatu is yet to host a special press conference where details about Wednesday’s decision would be made public. 

Many sources who attended the meeting said they were “warned” not to make any premature public statements before the official announcement. 

_________

Cosatu meeting constitutional: Dlamini

The New Age, 15 August 2013

The meeting which decided to place Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on special leave was held constitutionally, the trade union federation's president Sidumo Dlamini said on Thursday.

"The meeting was fully constitutionally convened by the Cosatu national office bearers, was quorate, and was attended by leaders of Cosatu affiliated unions and provincial structures," Dlamini told reporters in Johannesburg.

"It was agreed that every individual and structure involved must respect internal processes, without exception, and issues must only be communicated to media by national office bearers."

Earlier, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim said the Congress of SA Trade Unions central executive committee (CEC) meeting held on Wednesday was not constitutional.

Dlamini said it was agreed at the meeting that it was properly constituted. He said Numsa's claim was recorded in the minutes of the meeting. However, the agreement was also recorded in the minutes.

Last month, a junior Cosatu employee accused Vavi of rape. He admitted to having a consensual affair with her. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him.

The CEC met in Johannesburg on Wednesday to decide on possible sanctions against Vavi for the affair. Dlamini said Vavi was placed on special leave.

"After lengthy discussion, the [CEC] meeting agreed to conduct a full investigation into the allegations and to ask both the general secretary and the staff member to attend disciplinary hearings. The meeting insisted that everybody involved must be treated equally and that the process will be conducted in a free and fair manner, in full compliance with the Cosatu constitution."

The disciplinary hearing would be chaired by an independent person.

In the meantime Cosatu deputy general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali would perform Vavi's duties.

-Sapa

__________

Cosatu breaks the silence on Vavi

Sapa, Fin24, 15 August 2013

Johannesburg - Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has been released of all his duties, the trade union federation said on Thursday.

Its executive said he had been put on special leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to an affair he had with a junior Congress of SA Trade Unions woman employee.

"[Vavi] has been released from all his official duties as the general secretary during this period of investigation until such time that the outcome of the [disciplinary] hearing is known," deputy general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali told reporters in Johannesburg.

"He's suspended in terms of given leave... any employee of any organisation, when you are suspended, then there are arrangements made in terms of coming to a work place."

Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini announced earlier that Vavi at been placed on special leave after a special central executive committee (CEC) meeting.

Full investigation

"After lengthy discussion, the [CEC] meeting agreed to conduct a full investigation into the allegations and to ask both the general secretary and the staff member to attend disciplinary hearings," Dlamini said.

"The meeting insisted that everybody involved must be treated equally and that the process will be conducted in a free and fair manner, in full compliance with the Cosatu constitution."

The hearing would be chaired by an independent person. Ntshalintshali would take over Vavi's role.

Last month, a junior Cosatu employee accused Vavi of rape. He admitted to having a consensual affair with her. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him. The CEC met in Johannesburg on Wednesday to decide on possible sanctions against Vavi.

Unconstitutional?

Earlier, National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim said Wednesday's CEC meeting was unconstitutional.

Jim said Numsa, a strong Vavi ally, was "feeling very bad about what has happened" to the general secretary.

Dlamini said it was agreed on Wednesday that the CEC meeting was properly constituted.

"The expressions of Numsa that, even after the meeting had satisfied itself that it was properly constituted... they remained convinced that it was not, is recorded in the minutes, but also is recorded that the meeting agreed that it was properly constituted."

Dlamini said it was agreed that every individual involved in the matter had to respect Cosatu's internal processes.

"[The] issues must only be communicated to media by national office bearers."

Cosatu second deputy president Zingiswa Losi said a date for Vavi's disciplinary hearing had not been set because the decision was taken late on Wednesday. A letter was only sent to Vavi on Thursday morning, before the news briefing, she said.

Four weeks

Regarding the length of Vavi's special leave, Losi said the CEC decided that at its next meeting on September 16 a report should be ready.

"Which will then mean from now until that time of the central executive committee meeting it will be four weeks that we have to ensure that an independent... person or persons from outside the federation will be able to listen to the processes of that disciplinary hearing," she said.

There had been claims by those supporting Vavi that the allegations against him were part of a political conspiracy and that people were trying to silence Vavi because he was too outspoken. Dlamini denied this.

"There is no way it can be a political conspiracy issue. We urge our members and leaders to contend with the fact that our duty as leaders, as affiliates, is to work internally and strengthen the federation."

He denied claims that Cosatu was imploding.

"Our focus is to ensure there is no split in the federation... [it] becomes more and more critical."

____________

Vavi faces more hearings, possible sanctions

Khuthala Nandipha, M&G, 15 August 2013

Zwelinzima Vavi has been released from all his official duties as general secretary of Cosatu pending an investigation.

 

At a press conference at Cosatu House on Thursday, acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalinsthali said they cannot say what the possible sanctions will be for Vavi as only the chairperson of the hearing can decide. An independent investigation, made up of a series of disciplinary hearings, will be conducted by Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo. A full report is expected to be presented during the normal central executive committee meeting on September 16.

Vavi and the female employee who accused him of sexual harassment were on Wednesday put on special leave. This follows Vavi’s admission of guilt to having sex with a junior staff member at the federation’s headquarters. He again admitted his guilt during Wednesday's special central executive committee meeting.

"His admission of guilt proves that there is no political conspiracy here, he admitted his own misconduct. There is no animosity between any two leaders in this situation. We will afford Vavi and the lady the opportunity to present their case and answer charges," said Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini.

Cosatu's second deputy president Zingiswa Losi attacked both the media and the public for trampling all over the rights of the woman involved in the case. "While your focus was skewed towards Vavi, you stripped her naked and speculated that she was being used, giving her a political motivation," she said.

She also asked both parties be treated equally and fairly going forward.

Dlamini clarified that the special meeting was constitutionally convened, was quorate and was attended by all leaders of Cosatu-affiliated unions, despite calls from the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) and the South Africa Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) to have it cancelled as they deemed unconstitutional and unnecessary.

Numsa’s persistent unhappiness about the meeting, according to Dlamini, was noted.

'Not in denial'
Dlamini reiterated that Cosatu is not in denial of their challenges, but stressed that there is a bigger need to work towards the unity of the federation. "Our challenge is how best to build Cosatu and remain the workers' anchor. It is dangerous to continue to perpetuate and to drive a wedge between leaders because that serves to help the enemies of Cosatu."

The national office bearers that addressed the conference admitted that no organisation is 100% united. "But after this page has been turned, we need to go back to the responsibilities of campaigning against unemployment and poverty," said Dlamini.

On Thursday morning, Vavi took to Twitter to share his disappointment at his suspension. "I committed an error and have profusely apologised ... I am relieved so many have accepted that apology and recognise that some remain unforgiving. I know others are celebrating and rubbing salt," he said before promising to have more to say at a later stage.

The date for the first disciplinary hearing has not been set yet. Meanwhile he is allowed into the Cosatu building under special arrangements in line with Cosatu’s constitution.

________

Vavi suspended: Numsa

SAPA, Sowetan, 15 August 2013

Numsa, a strong ally of Zwelinzima Vavi, confirmed that the Cosatu general secretary has been suspended, while an official statement from the trade union federation was still awaited.

"He [Vavi] was suspended," National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim said.

"Numsa is feeling very bad about what has happened."

Reports on Thursday said Vavi had been put on "special leave" following a Congress of SA Trade Unions special central executive committee (CEC) meeting on Wednesday.

Jim said special leave and suspension were "the same thing".

Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said he could not confirm the reports of Vavi's suspension, but that a CEC statement would be released later.

Last month, a junior employee at Cosatu accused Vavi of rape. He admitted to having a consensual affair with her. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him.

The CEC met in Johannesburg on Wednesday to decide on possible sanctions against Vavi for the affair.

On Thursday, Jim said the CEC meeting was held "unconstitutionally".

"We went into that meeting explaining... [that] unless they give us the reasons why the meeting was convened we would not be in a position to declare and secure a mandate from our members.

"We were in a meeting that was wrongly constituted, we said so in the meeting."

He said Cosatu could not just hold meetings when it felt like it -- it needed a mandate from its members.

On Monday, Numsa reportedly said it would propose that the union withdraw its subscription from Cosatu if the trade union federation failed to cancel Wednesday's meeting. Numsa's subscription to Cosatu was thought to be about R80,000 a month.

Jim on Thursday said Numsa was "reflecting" on what happened at the CEC meeting before making a decision.

Meanwhile, Vavi took to social networking site Twitter to thank people for their support.

"I committed an error & have profusely apologised to everyone hurt by my indiscretion. That was a right thing to do," he wrote.

"I am relieved so many have accepted that apology and recognise that some remain unforgiving. Know others celebrating and rubbing salt."

In a third tweet he wrote: "Thank you for the support - will say more later."

_____________

ANC: Be quiet about Vavi

Carien du Plessis @carienduplessis #Vavi15 August 2013

 

The ANC has called on those involved in the disciplinary hearing of suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi not to speak about it in public.

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement issued this afternoon it “noted” the decision by labour federation Cosatu’s central executive committee to place Vavi and the employee he had sex with on special leave.

“The ANC respects the right of the federation to its internal processes to deal with all matters affecting it and thus the ANC will await the outcome of the disciplinary process to be instituted. We trust that these processes will be speedily concluded and the matter soon laid to rest,” Mthembu said.

He also said the ANC hoped that Cosatu would be “afforded the necessary space to address the challenges facing the federation” and that those involved would respect the internal processes.

Vavi has previously been criticised for tweeting out of turn. This morning, he tweeted: “I am relieved so many have accepted that apology and recognize that some remain unforgiving. Know others celebrating and rubbing salt.”

One of his allies, metalworkers’ union boss Irvin Jim, also this morning confirmed Vavi’s suspension before Cosatu’s press conference.

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini earlier admitted that Cosatu’s campaigns were not going the way they should because of the federation’s current troubles.

He also said the labour federation should help the ANC with a “decisive win” in next year’s general elections.

Cosatu decided to suspend Vavi after an all-day meeting yesterday, after he admitted that he had sex with a woman he appointed to work at Cosatu House.

She has also been suspended.

_________

Internal troubles distract Cosatu from election campaign

Carien du Plessis and Sabelo Ndlangisa @City_Press #Cosatu15 August 2013

 

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini during a press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday (August 15 2013). Picture: Elizabeth Sejake/City Press

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini has admitted that the labour federation’s internal troubles were distracting it from its campaigns and next year’s general elections campaign.

He said this after telling journalists at a press conference at Cosatu House today that Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi had been “placed on special leave” pending a disciplinary hearing over his admission that he had sex with a junior employee.

“There are challenges. At this time, our focus should be on our campaigns and ensuring a decisive victory for the ANC next year,” Dlamini said, following yesterday’s 10-hour meeting of Cosatu’s central executive committee, which decided Vavi should be suspended.

But he added that Cosatu had not abandoned its campaigns against e-tolls, labour brokers and achieving “a better life for workers” in the light of Vavi’s suspension.

Dlamini also denied that the charges against Vavi came from those who wanted to see him fall, as his supporters had claimed.

“There is no political conspiracy, even on this matter. There is no way it can be a political conspiracy,” he said.

Numsa has threatened to split from Cosatu over the action against Vavi, which it says is politically motivated.

However, Dlamini said Numsa has not discussed its intentions with its federation.

“The ANC is concerned and is working with us … there can be no split,” Dlamini said.

Dlamini denied allegations that he deferred to Mahlamba Ndlopfu (President Jacob Zuma’s official residence) or to the ANC’s headquarters.

He also said the federation would push for unity, saying this was more important than the current Vavi debacle.

Lawyer Charles Nupen is facilitating an intervention to deal with disunity in the organisation, while a firm of auditors is investigating allegations of wrongdoing in the sale and purchase of Cosatu’s buildings.

The briefing was attended by all Cosatu’s top leaders, excluding Vavi.

Vavi later tweeted that he was in the building, picking up his belongings.

By the end of the briefing, when City Press tried to find him, he had already left, via the basement tuck shop.

Vavi will not be barred from the building while the disciplinary process goes ahead.

Both Vavi and the 26-year-old woman will face disciplinary hearings, Dlamini said.

Cosatu’s acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali would not say what possible sanctions Vavi faces, saying this would be left to an independent disciplinary committee chairperson to decide.

The hearing is expected to be over by the time the federation holds its next central executive committee meeting, where the outcomes of Nupen’s facilitation will be discussed.

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Norman Mampane (Communications Officer)

Congress of South African Trade Unions

110 Jorissen Cnr Simmonds Street

Braamfontein

2017

 

P.O.Box 1019

Johannesburg

2000

South Africa

 

Tel: +27 11 339-4911 or Direct 010 219-1342

Mobile: +27 72 416 3790

E-Mail: mam...@cosatu.org.za