Cosatu warns its president
‘Show support for Zuma again and you will lose your position’
COSATU president S’dumo Dlamini risks being removed from his influential position should he again bring the labour federation into disrepute.
Dlamini came under fire for attending President Jacob Zuma’s 75th birthday bash in Soweto last month, despite Cosatu having taken a decision for Zuma to step down, citing a lack of confidence in his leadership.
The Star understands that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), while it has accepted Dlamini’s apology, took a decision yesterday at a caucus meeting of the delegation it would send to the central committee (CC) meeting that this should be the last apology from him.
Last week, Dlamini preempted his foes when he apologised at the opening of the union’s special central executive committee (CEC).
However, The Star ther understands that some aggrieved unions will still push for Dlamini to be hauled over the coals, during the Cosatu CC meeting starting from today at the St George’s Hotel in Irene outside Pretoria.
Cosatu’s largest affiliate, the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union, wants Dlamini to be ousted for attending the Zuma birthday party, an assembly of the president’s faction in the ANC.
A union official privy to details of the NUM meeting said the union said it was wrong for Dlamini to “speak on behalf of Cosatu at Zuma’s birthday bash... The union is saying this should be the last apology from him, and that in future he has to abide by the CEC’s decisions.”
At the birthday, Dlamini consoled Zuma and said he should “remain strong” in the midst of these “hard, trying times”. Zuma looked on as Dlamini told him: “As you are my leader and we tackle these issues, I need you to be strong.”
NUM president Piet Matosa said the matter regarding Dlamini was not on the agenda and his union would deal with it as it comes.
“Knowing comrade Dlamini, I don’t think he will do something like that again, like defying the organisation. But if he does, we may have to find out the reasons as to why he continues to behave in a defiant manner. But I don’t know him to be an arrogant person.”
Matosa said the NUM, as an affiliate of Cosatu, would be forced to “act” against Dlamini if “he does a similar thing in the future”.
While the Dlamini matter is considered closed, Nehawu general secretary Bereng Soke said at the weekend that it could still come up during a performance appraisal of the labour federation’s leadership as a whole.
Cosatu has also taken the decision that Zuma, who was heckled, booed and prevented from addressing a May Day rally in Bloemfontein, is no longer welcome to attend and address its gatherings.
The federation has taken the decision that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa should become president when Zuma steps down in December. Ramaphosa, who has spoken out against Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle in which he fired finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas, is expected to address the CC meeting this week.
A smiling photo of the former unionist is on the cover of Cosatu’s secretariat report.
Ramaphosa and other senior ANC leaders, including secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and treasurer Zweli Mkhize, weren’t at the birthday bash.
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