Blade fires Cosatu leaders
UNION BOSSES TO TAKE MINISTER TO COURT FOR REMOVING THEM FROM SETA BOARD AFTER FALLOUT
HIGHER Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande has fired top trade unionists affiliated to Cosatu from a training entity, accusing them of poor governance.
Nzimande last week dissolved the board of the Safety and Security Sector Education Training Authority (Sasseta), responsible for training police, prison warders and security guards, among others.
The senior unionists are so angry with Nzimande, who is also general-secretary of the South African Communist Party, that they are planning to take him to court.
Those sacked include SA Transport and Allied Workers Union deputy general-secretary Nicholus Maziya, Mzwandile Makwayiba, the president of the powerful National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union, and SA Security Forces Union president Bhekinkosi Mvovo.
Mvovo is also a member of the SACP provincial executive committee in Western Cape.
Another top unionist, former Popcru general-secretary Abbey Witbooi, the Sasseta chairman, was also dropped.
Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini said in 2009 the SACP made a request to Cosatu to allow leaders of affiliates to serve in Setas.
“Indeed a number of leaders were deployed to sit in the Setas,” he said, adding he was not aware of the dissolution of the Sasseta board.
Last year, Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu found that lack of leadership and instability at Sasseta led to oversight mechanisms not being effective.
The unionists were seen as political allies of Nzimande and were now planning to take him to court to have their suspensions overturned and their names cleared.
Nzimande ’ s director-general, Gwebs Qonde, confirmed the suspensions in a notice published in the Government Gazette.
Yesterday, Qonde said: “An administrator has been appointed and she replaces the accounting authority [board]. The minister consulted with the accounting authority in terms of section 15 of the Skills Development Act.”
Nzimande ’ s critics have maintained that the empowerment of unionists created a power base for him in Cosatu.
Maziya and Makwayiba were central in the campaign to expel metalworkers union Numsa and Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi ’ s suspension.
Both Numsa and Vavi have been staunch critics of Nzimande.
“Blade pleaded with Cosatu to send senior trade unionists for skills development. Now they come across these irregularities and they get removed,” a member of Cosatu ’ s central executive committee said.
“Maziya and Makwayiba were central to the removal of Numsa. Now that they were removed, this will give Numsa ammunition to say we are fighting among ourselves.”
Sasseta is a strategic Seta generating revenue of nearly R300million a year.
Nzimande has deployed several trade unionists to various Setas, crucial entities dealing with the country ’ s skills shortage.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister and former National Union of Mineworkers president Senzeni Zokwana resigned as chairman of a Seta after being appointed into President Jacob Zuma ’ s cabinet last year. Zokwana is also SACP chairman.
Former Nehawu first deputy president and current SACP Gauteng chairman Joe Mpisi and Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union generalsecretary Andre Kriel also sat on Seta boards.