Moves afoot to suspend and discipline Vavi

EMBATTLED Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi could be suspended this week if his opponents have their way at a crucial trade union federation meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

A number of influential Cosatu affiliates told the Sunday Times that they would be

pushing for the outspoken general-secretary’s suspension as well as for disciplinary charges to be laid against him at a special central executive committee meeting.

Vavi has been accused by a Cosatu staffer of having forced himself on her during an encounter in her office on January 25.

Vavi has denied raping her,

insisting that they had consensual sex and were having an extramarital affair.

The scandal has sharpened differences in Cosatu, with Vavi’s opponents saying he has brought the federation into disrepute and his backers believing that the scandal does not affect his ability to lead the trade union federation.

Cosatu affiliates expected to

demand that Vavi be suspended include the National Union of Mineworkers, South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and police union Popcru.

The unions in Vavi’s corner include the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, Food and Allied Workers’

Union (Fawu) and the South African Municipal Workers’ Union.

A report is expected on the hearing two weeks ago in which Vavi’s accuser withdrew allegations of sexual harassment. The meeting will also discuss Vavi’s statement in which he admitted having

sexual relations with the Cosatu employee, as well as his accuser’s open letter published in the Sunday Times two weeks ago.

An influential union boss who asked not to be named said the Vavi issue was a “clear disciplinary matter”.

“We are guided by policies. You can have a relationship with whoever. But you can’t have sex in the office of your employer. Reason must prevail. Those who are against the suspension must tell us if the sex did happen. If it did then reason must prevail.”

Fikile Majola, general secretary of Nehawu, said: “We are deeply worried about the image of Cosatu — that is why we have asked for this special central executive committee [meeting]. We are shocked that we were not called earlier and briefed about what is happening,” said Majola.

Vavi’s backers believe his apology last week negated further action against him.

Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said: “We think the apology was sufficient and we must accept the apology and move on. But if people think that this indiscretion by Vavi must be graduated from a grievance to a disciplinary matter, then people must motivate and we will debate the matter. But we don’t see a reason why it must be graduated to a disciplinary matter . . . the matter must be closed.”

Corruption Watch, of which Vavi is a board member, issued a statement on Friday saying he had been censured for having sex with a subordinate.