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Vavi: SA 'in trouble’

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Vavi1

Independent Newspapers

Zwelinzima Vavi general secretary of Cosatu. Picture: Antoine de Ras.

South Africa was “in trouble” on many levels, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi warned on Wednesday.

“There can be no denial that we are fighting ourselves at the moment... and there is an attempt by the powerful elite to shut up everybody: including shutting them up permanently.

“Comrades are beefing up security, including me. It's not the AWB (Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging) and it's not all the right-wing white extremists. It's one another.”

He said some senior government officials were too preoccupied with power games to care about the poor and unemployed.

“We are in trouble politically... in 2014 we (will not be able to) offer answers when our people ask what have we done (to eradicate unemployment and poverty),” the Congress of SA Trade Unions boss told a National Union of Metalworkers of SA job summit in Johannesburg.

Many people were living in fear of their reputations being destroyed, their political standing being jeopardised, and in fear for their own safety.

Vavi said many of those who had fought to bring change at the ANC's elective conference in Polokwane in 2007, which saw President Jacob Zuma elected party leader, no longer saw eye to eye.

Referring to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's medium-term budget policy statement on Tuesday, Vavi said it was no surprise the country was facing tough times.

He warned that frustration among the poor was growing, especially in informal settlements.

“Where is the leadership?” asked Vavi. - Sapa

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Graham F, wrote

IOL Comments
11:27am on 27 October 2011
IOL Comments

And you and COSATU are part of the problem, not the solution. Why not leave the Tri Partite Alliance, which isn't Tri Partite at all, and start an opposition party to ANC taking all the Union members votes with. We need a strong opposition to weaken the excesses and poor leadership of ANC.

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JR, wrote

IOL Comments
10:15am on 27 October 2011
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This is the first time I have agreed with your statement. South Africa is heading into, if it is not already there, a free for all where the elite are looting the coffers of this country and see themselves above the laws of the country. There is an arrogance and self enriching determinance of this elite of all races that has not been seen in Africa before. They are also determined that none should question them let alone hold them accountable.

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Tintin Sailor, wrote

IOL Comments
09:50am on 27 October 2011
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don't tell us that getting rid of the labour brokers is the solution to the ills of our nation. even da is better cause they do give their input on what must be done to correct the problems. you and blade are out of touch with the realities of our country. blade is supposed to be the comunist, but he is against calls for nationlization. only because it is initiated by the ancyl. he was found napping and is now sulking. instead of supporting these kids, he figths them. blade is not a communist. he is a capitalist who cries wolf with his R1mil car. sad sad sad... vavi you forget that the strikes that you keep organising are hurting the country long term. right now we have lost markets because of the strikes. we are not considered unreliable because of those crippling strikes that you led. you don't debrief the people a year later to determine the impact of the strikes. did you ever talk about the 1000 people who lost their jobs in EL some years ago becuase of your strikes in the automobile industry. did you show how they live now and how the loss has impacted their lives. instead of talking about creating new industries and new money, you want to milk those who are already employing people.... short sighted...

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Tintin Sailor, wrote

IOL Comments
09:41am on 27 October 2011
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it does not help us vavi, when you always raise issues but never talk about solutions. you are part of the collective. the movement would have gone down during your watch if it were to happen now. if there was a better way of doing things, why not ensure that it is realized. instead you choose to stand on an ant hill and proclaim to be the voice of the prophet of reason from the desert. if the country is in trouble, you are also to blame. if you cant enforce change while in leadership, then you are not the man who should lead. perhaps we need a stronger leader. you were part of the clowns that rushed Mbeki out of office, with a hope of getting your fair share of the loot. now you cry for the same Mbeki.now you are all fighting each other. your methods have come back to haunt you.... so instead of telling us that there is a problem, just fix it. you created it...

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