Johannesburg - Embattled Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi - who is finally facing multiple charges – has caused a stir by saying he did not know what he was doing with that nopatazana. He was speaking at a rally in his home township of Sada, outside Whittlesea, Eastern Cape, on Saturday.
“Andiyazi ngunopatazana endandimkhathalele ngantoni lo (I don’t know what I was doing with that nopatazana),” he said, referring to Jacqueline Phooko, the suspended junior staffer who accused him of sexual harrassmnent after the two had extramarital sex in the office. But she later withdrew the grievance. Vavi told The Sunday Independent that he used the word nopatazana to mean “a girl”.
“I said this in the context of an apology, apologising that what was I doing with that girl,” said Vavi last night.
But Mcebisi Ndletyana, political analyst and isiXhosa speaker, said: “(The word) doesn’t have an equivalent English word, but denotes bitchy or any unladylike behaviour.”
This comes as Cosatu leaders are formally laying charges of “serious misconduct” against Vavi for having sex with Phooko and instituting a disciplinary process after the meeting of its top brass tomorrow.
It has emerged that Cosatu will now add charges that relate to “missing” monies allegedly spent on booking flights and accommodation for Vavi. These were fresh allegations made by the federation in its court papers this week.
The beleaguered Cosatu leader will also be charged with allegedly appointing Phooko without following procedure. But Vavi maintains that all national office bearers had agreed to the appointment.
A senior federation official confirmed that “we are charging him”. “There are other charges that we have now included such as the issues of money and the accountability for hotel bookings for him. He has also been violating his suspension,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to comment to the media on the matter.
The central executive committee of Cosatu – its highest decision-making structure between elective congresses – will also get a progress report into the probe into claims of maladministration against Vavi and the labour federation’s internal strife.
Vavi, metalworkers, the food workers and footballers’ union asked the Johannesburg High Court to overturn his compulsory special leave this week.
Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said any attempt by an ordinary CEC to “sort out the mess” would be “completely unfair”, he said.
“If people were to use an ordinary CEC to sort out the mess, it will be a sham,” Jim added.
The court postponed Numsa’s initial application to early next month.
In its court papers filed this week, Cosatu said Vavi’s reinstatement before finishing investigations into him would leave matters
unresolved. Vavi was placed on special leave last month pending an investigation into his sexual encounter in the office with Phooko. At the time, Cosatu made it clear that there could be a possible disciplinary action against him.
This was after an independent consultant, who presided over the internal sexual grievance against him, condemned his behaviour with Phooko as “unacceptable”.
It is unclear, however, whether the federation will charge Phooko.
Asked whether he was aware formal charges were set to be brought by the federation tomorrow, Vavi said on Saturday: “They have already wronged me. The (meeting) does not and cannot correct that injustice committed”.
Vavi said he was co-operating in the facilitated process on the sale of the Cosatu building in Johannesburg and attempts to bring about unity in the federation. “I have given that process my full support and I have made myself available for all engagements without fail ,” Vavi said.
In his court papers, Vavi said the decision to suspend him was part of a plot to remove him from his powerful post.
“The respondent’s (Cosatu’s) actions are calculated and aimed at sidelining me by silencing me through suspension.”
Also in the papers, Vavi says the decision to suspend him was inconsistent with the Cosatu constitution. He said Cosatu lied that its catering union, among others, had supported the decision to place on him on special leave.
The union on Thursday wrote to Cosatu officials pushing for a special congress to decide Vavi’s fate.
Its general secretary, Bones Skulu, said the special congress should deal with the outcome of the maladministration investigation, among other things.
Although his suspension stops him from official duties, Vavi this week returned to the public eye, first making an appearance at Monday’s march by Numsa in support of wage demands in the petrol and motor retail sector.
However, the SACP in the Eastern Cape distanced itself from a rally Vavi was scheduled to address in the Chris Hani District on Saturday.
The party said its logo had been used without permission on posters to advertise the event.
Sunday Independent