Vavi defies Cosatu ban, backers plan fightback

EMBATTLED Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi has defied an order barring him from addressing any platforms of the labour federation or those of its affiliates while he is on suspension.

Vavi took to the podium at the regional conference of metalworkers union Numsa in Durban yesterday, where he was the keynote speaker.

He told delegates to “liberate Cosatu from its current paralysis”.

This move is likely to spell more trouble for him. Cosatu bosses seethed with anger when he spoke at a regional conference of teacher’s union Sadtu in the Eastern Cape shortly after his suspension. They piled more charges on him, and Sadtu suspended its president, Thobile Ntola, who had invited Vavi.

An incensed Cosatu deputy general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali told the Sunday Times yesterday that by addressing the Numsa conference, Vavi was behaving like someone who wanted to be expelled from Cosatu.

“We don’t know if he has come to a conclusion that ‘I don’t care, I’ll be dismissed anyway for other transgressions. I’d rather do it anyway so that you dismiss me’.”

He said Vavi and Numsa were acting in a manner that showed they would be happy to be expelled from the federation.

Cosatu’s lawyers have written to Vavi ordering him to refrain from talking to the media and commenting on social media site Twitter. Vavi actively uses Twitter and has more than 100 000 followers.

Meanwhile, Vavi’s backers are considering defying Cosatu leadership by boycotting meetings and programmes. The Sunday Times understands that the unions are planning to meet this week to plot a fightback strategy following their defeat in the central executive committee meeting last week.

Food and Allied Workers’ Union general secretary Katishi Masemola said the union planned to lobby other Vavi-supporting unions to join the challenge.