Cosatu faces new mutiny

11 February 2014 - 02:11 By OLEBOGENG MOLATLHWA
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Zwelinzima Vavi. File photo
Zwelinzima Vavi. File photo
Image: Gallo Images/Foto24/Cornel van Heerden

Cosatu is suffering yet another stress fracture.

One of its affiliates - the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union - is on the verge of imploding because of divided opinion among its members about the suspension of Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

Yesterday, four of the union's seven regions - Wits, North West, Eastern Cape and Western Cape - strongly opposed a call for Vavi to be suspended made by its general secretary, Simon Mofokeng, and its president Thamsanqa Mhlongo at its special central executive committee meeting in August.

At a joint media briefing yesterday, the chairmen of the four regions said Mofokeng and Mhlongo's stance was "not mandated" by the union's members.

The chairmen said the union had not held any national executive committee meetings last year and so, they said, the union was unable to make a united decision about the suspension of Vavi.

The union was due to hold a meeting of its national executive committee on February 20, but the meeting has been cancelled.

"The position of the union regarding the suspension of Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi must be changed as it has not been canvassed within the union due to frequent postponements and cancellations of NEC meetings," the chairmen said.

"The four regions at their congresses have thus resolved and mandated their leaderships to join the call that the suspension of [Vavi] be lifted with immediate effect."

The chairmen accused Mofokeng of "dissolving" the national executive committee in an attempt to thwart the pursuit of the corruption allegations against him.

The Sunday Times reported last year that Mofokeng and his wife, Maureen, used fake documents to secure contracts worth millions from Sasol.

The four regions yesterday called for union members to distance themselves from Mofokeng.

Mofokeng was not available for comment.

"The union has a zero-tolerance stance on corruption within its ranks - among leaders and members," the chairmen said.

In December, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA said it would no longer campaign for the ANC, in part because of the suspension of Vavi .

Speculation is rife that Cosatu's central executive committee will vote to expel Numsa as an affiliate.

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