Johannesburg - A second Cosatu affiliate has come out against the federation’s general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, accusing him of factionalism.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) said on Monday that Vavi was behaving in a manner of someone who was “politically expired”.
This follows Vavi announcing on Sunday that he would not attend an all-important Cosatu meeting on Monday and Tuesday, but instead would go to ground to rally support amongst workers.
“We are now trying one last-ditch attempt to reclaim the organisation from below, by mobilising the members to assert their rights to control their movement. If this fails, history will record that we tried everything in our power,” he said.
It had widely been expected that Vavi, who does not have the support of the leaders of the majority of Cosatu’s 17 affiliates, would resign on Sunday. He is now likely to be given the boot by a special meeting of Cosatu’s central executive committee (CEC).
Vavi was asked to attend the meeting to explain himself on a number of issues, including why he boycotted the last CEC meeting. He believes he will not be given a fair hearing as many of his allies are not attending the gathering.
“Vavi must come and give account in the Cosatu CEC and to the workers for deliberately neglecting his responsibilities and duties by absconding the previous gatherings,” Popcru general secretary Nkosinathi Theledi said in a statement.
“We condemn his factionalist conduct by all means necessary. He labels others as factionalists when he himself factionally mobilises a section of the federation’s affiliates and non-affiliates to rebel against Cosatu which was paralysed by himself.”
On Sunday, the textile workers’ union Sactwu, which is normally reticent to speak publicly on the goings-on in Cosatu, said it was disappointed in Vavi’s latest move.
General secretary Andre Kriel said: “Sactwu is deeply disappointed, in Vavi’s actions today. We have always been sympathetic towards him, however we cannot tolerate organisational ill-discipline.”
Group Labour Editor