‘Vavi audit’ unlikely to address root cause of tension in Cosatu
SO ZWELINZIMA Vavi — or specifically his role in the buying and selling Cosatu buildings — will now be investigated by forensic auditors. If that sounds like old news, it isn’t. It is the latest news from Cosatu’s central executive committee meeting held this week, which tried to break the deadlock between the federation’s two factions, one seeking to oust Mr Vavi, the other not.
The reason it sounds old, though, is that prior to the decision being taken, the claim that Mr Vavi was being investigated over the building had been so widely reported that in the public perception it had almost become true. In fact, the allegation had never been tabled in a Cosatu meeting, until it was raised for the first time this week.
On several occasions, and lately even publicly, Mr Vavi has proclaimed his innocence, saying not a shred of evidence had ever been presented to suggest wrongdoing.
But with so much doubt and suspicion having being cast through the media over the past three months, Mr Vavi was left with no choice but to accept and welcome such a probe lest it look as if he had something to hide.
Mr Vavi, who is said to have carefully documented every step of every transaction related to the sale and purchase of the buildings, is certain he will be exonerated.
“If anyone can produce evidence of what sources in newspapers are saying is true, then you will not see me here. I will do what I always ask other people to do: I will walk,” he said at yesterday’s press conference, called to convey the committee’s decisions.
It is correct, in any event — he also admitted — that in any case where serious allegations are made, the organisation concerned should investigate them and report back to the public about its findings and the steps it was taking.
The proposed forensic investigation will take place alongside a process led by mediator Charles Nupen and veteran trade unionist Petrus Mashishi, to explore four areas of tension and contention between the factions. These will include ideological matters, political, organisational and administrative concerns.
The idea here, as Mr Vavi’s opponents have made clear in their executive committee meetings, is that it is time for him to be reined in politically and for his strident independence to be tempered.
Many of his utterances — including his tweets in social media, usually fired from the heart — will come under scrutiny in the facilitated process.
While the last facilitated process — agreed to at the last central executive meeting in February — deadlocked, this time the panellists will have greater flexibility to both interview unionists and suggest processes that could enable the political differences to be aired in a constructive way.
Set aside in this process are prescribed time limits by which
Many of his utterances — including his tweets in social media … will come under scrutiny
those with complaints must make their submissions.
These measures will help break the deadlock that Cosatu leaders have found themselves in. If successful, it may even go so far as to provide a modus operandi for political conduct and calm some of the tensions in the federation. If Mr Vavi is not removed over his role in the buildings, reining him in will be the next best option for his opponents, for now.
But the root cause of the tension is not going to go away. Cosatu leaders have strongly divergent views on whether the African National Congress and President Jacob Zuma are moving in a direction that will improve life for workers and the poor. Those different perspectives will continue to play themselves out in a fight over who should lead the federation.