Money will destroy alliance: Dlamini

Cosatu acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali, federation president Sdumo Dlamini and Zingiswa Losi, the second deputy president, during their 12th National elective congress. Photo: Matthews Baloyi

Cosatu acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali, federation president Sdumo Dlamini and Zingiswa Losi, the second deputy president, during their 12th National elective congress. Photo: Matthews Baloyi

Published Nov 23, 2015

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Johannesburg – The tendency of using money to buy votes in favour of certain leaders would lead to the demise of the tripartite alliance, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president S’dumo Dlamini told delegates on Monday.

“Money will destroy all of us…it will destroy our organisations, even this federation will be destroyed,” Dlamini said during his opening address at the federations ’12th congress, taking place in Midrand in Johannesburg.

“Why agree to be bought? Why subject yourself to such degrading position and lose yourself by selling your soul?” he asked delegates.

The Cosatu Central Executive Committee (CEC) was concerned by “premature” debates on who would succeed President Jacob Zuma when his term ended in 2017, he said.

“The alliance succession debate started in 2014, with some saying Cosatu is supporting a particular leader or not supporting the other particular leader. The Cosatu CEC holds the view that we should stop with the succession debate and focus on winning the [local government] elections first, strengthen the alliance and protect it from forces that seek to destroy our movement.”

The so-called “Premier League” was reportedly working behind the scenes to influence the succession of Zuma. The group, which comprises North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza and Free State premier Ace Magashule, and has been accused of engineering the election of North West’s Collen Maine as the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president at the organisation’s elective congress held in September.

African News Agency

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