Cosatu not to be won or lost like a medieval kingdom Nehawu tells Vavi

Nehawu has criticised reported remarks by suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi that he will win back the trade union federation.

"The union noted with concern the statements attributed to the suspended general secretary of the federation," National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) general secretary Fikile Majola said in a statement on Monday.

"We want to clarify that Cosatu is a federation that belongs to the workers and not individuals, and therefore cannot be won or lost by its elected leaders like a medieval kingdom."

Vavi has been quoted as saying he was intent on "winning back Cosatu".

Majola said this was an indication of what was wrong with the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), where "some leaders have appropriated to themselves an infinite right to lead".

Vavi was one of the topics discussed at Nehawu's national executive committee meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

Other topics discussed included the potential modification of the National Development Plan, which Majola described as a "living document, not cast in stone".

"It was concluded that, where there is agreement like the need for a capable developmental state, we shall push ahead with implementation, and where there are disagreements like the economic chapter [of the plan], it shall be referred to the alliance task team," Majola said.

Nehawu's involvement in the African National Congress's 2014 election manifesto was also discussed.

"We commit to ardently campaign for the ANC in the upcoming national general elections in order to ensure that it achieves an overwhelming two-thirds majority."

The union reiterated its call for the nationalisation of the SA Reserve Bank (SARB).

"We do not believe that the policies [the SARB and the National Treasury] pursue will help us build a national democratic society and also address the historical injustices including the eradication of apartheid production relations."

Majola said Nehawu was disappointed at the tax concessions proposed by the Treasury.

He said these would benefit businesses via the Employment Tax Incentive Bill.

The union vowed to monitor the implementation of the re-engineering of the primary health care system aimed at making health services accessible to poor communities, in particular in the rural areas.

Majola said it would also ensure that the funding for the National Health Insurance would be "ring-fenced so that it is not used for public-private-partnerships (PPP) in the implementation of the pilot sites".

A PPP is a government service or private business venture funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies.