Cosatu congress expresses ‘disgust’ over reports

INLSA

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. File photo: Neil Baynes

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Johannesburg - The Congress of SA Trade Unions' bargaining conference has expressed disgust at members who were sowing division through the media, the trade federation said on Saturday.

“The (conference)... expressed its disgust at the continued attempt by some faceless leaders who have now become newspapers sources, hell-bent on sowing divisions and undermining the unity and cohesion of the federation,” Cosatu said in a statement.

“The conference strongly condemned this foreign culture and called on all leaders of the federation to respect internal processes.”

The Mail & Guardian reported on Friday that Cosatu would appoint auditors to investigate general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

Three independent investigations will be conducted simultaneously.

One will probe how the organisation is run, another will examine how the current state of politics is affecting Cosatu.

It reported that forensic auditors SizweNtsalubaGobodo will examine administrative issues, including claims of financial mismanagement by Vavi.

The political commission is reportedly expected to be headed by labour lawyer Charles Nupen, while Petrus Mashishi, the former president of the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) would probe organisational matters.

The newspaper previously reported that Cosatu's central executive committee (CEC) had called for an investigation into Vavi for alleged corruption relating to the acquisition of its new headquarters.

Cosatu said that at the CEC meeting, a report was presented from a meeting of the Cosatu affiliated unions’ presidents and general secretaries on unity and cohesion in the federation.

The CEC decided that a meeting of the presidents and general secretaries should be convened urgently to discuss that issues raised by the report.

Cosatu's national office bearers convened the meeting on March 11.

It was decided at the meeting to appoint Mashishi and Nupen.

“The record of the meeting of the CEC on the discussions... shall be handed over to the two facilitators,” Cosatu said.

“All issues raised in the meeting of the CEC would then be put to the facilitated process.” - Sapa