Cosatu’s central committee meets minus Vavi, affiliates
Concerns that items on agenda will only deepen the rift
COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi’s future is being discussed at the federation’s three-day central executive committee (CEC) meeting despite his absence and that of nearly half the federation’s affiliates.
Vavi confirmed yesterday that a forensic report detailing financial maladministration relating to the sale and purchase of Cosatu buildings, among other matters, was on the agenda. The general secretary has been accused of benefiting from the deals.
Vavi is yet to face a disciplinary hearing over many charges, including financial maladministration and bringing Cosatu into disrepute.
His hearing, among other matters, was initially held in abeyance while the ANC tried to broker a peace deal among Cosatu’s 18 affiliates. Vavi’s charges were reinstated after the first leg of that process was completed in November.
Vavi announced on Twitter yesterday morning he wouldn’t take part in the CEC meeting.
“I don’t believe you can build unity by pretending it’s business as usual when half of the unions have written you letters saying they are boycotting in protest,” he said.
Vavi’s decision follows a public announcement by seven affiliates that they would boycott the high-level meeting because they wanted it to be postponed until they had met the ANC.
An ANC task team, which is meant to be working out a roadmap to deal with issues tearing the federation apart, postponed a meeting with Cosatu and its affiliates set for last week after informing them that not all their members were available.
Even though there is a boycott, the CEC can meet and its members vote on items on the agenda because they are in the majority and have a quorum.
Asked if Vavi had discussed his decision with the seven affiliates beforehand, Food and Allied Workers Union general secretary Katishi Masemola said he had found out about it only yesterday.
He said that besides the affiliates being in unison on the return of rebel metalworkers’ union Numsa to the Cosatu fold after it was expelled last year, they were also concerned that the matters on the CEC agenda would deepen divisions.
Masemola said that usually the final agenda was distributed in the morning and that the CEC started, but the seven affiliates had not received anything after announcing their boycott on Sunday.
The last one he had seen included an application by new metalworkers’ union, Limusa, to be granted affiliation to Cosatu, the disciplinary status of Vavi, plans on a special national congress, and investigations about the status of Cosatu second deputy president Zingiswa Losi.
While a CEC meeting last year, which was also boycotted, confirmed Losi could keep her post, it agreed that Cosatu’s constitution needed to include how to deal with a situation where a leader changed jobs.
“We thought today’s CEC would simply further divisions. We need to meet the ANC first,” Masemola said.
“We just hope it won’t take decisions that will plunge unity further. There are items on the agenda that reinforce the perception that there is no future for Numsa in Cosatu.”