Cape Town - Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has hired one of South Africa’s most prominent advocates to help him defend himself against allegations of rape in an internal hearing.
But his accuser faces a far more serious investigation: criminal charges of blackmail for allegedly trying to squeeze R2 million out of him.
The scandal surrounds a relationship between Vavi and a 26-year-old woman employee. She claims, in a letter of demand, that she has “suffered great trauma in being sexually assaulted at the workplace”.
But Vavi, in turn, has responded that their sex was “consensual” and described the assault allegations as “farcical and defamatory”.
Vavi has hired advocate Dup de Bruyn, who successfully represented Fred van der Vyver, who was acquitted of murder. More recently, De Bruyn has assisted the family of Reeva Steenkamp, who was killed by star paralympian Oscar Pistorius.
De Bruyn confirmed this weekend a case of extortion had been opened against the woman who allegedly tried to blackmail Vavi.
The charge was laid at Sandton police station on Thursday evening.
Police spokeswoman Kym Cloete verified this. De Bruyn also said the woman had not yet opened a case of rape with the police.
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) in KwaZulu-Natal has leapt to Vavi’s defence, arguing the rape allegation “cannot be de-linked from the poisonous, malicious and well-calculated political offensive directed towards destroying comrade Vavi’s political integrity and standing in society”.
In a statement, Vavi said: “For years now I have been dealing with consistent threats to my life, political assaults and efforts to destroy my contribution to the struggle of the working class and the poor in this country. Lately, as we all know, these efforts to destroy me have intensified. I am unable not to view this matter in the same light.”
Numsa backed him, saying: “We are aware that certain powerful leaders within and outside Cosatu coerced the alleged woman colleague to falsify the rape claim in order to destroy comrade Vavi’s political career.
“We view this as a very dangerous ploy or strategy, and thus undermine our fight against rape and sexual violence directed towards the vulnerable in our society.”
In documents sent to the media, Vavi admitted he had had an affair, for which he he apologised, saying: “I am only human and fallible. I am no saint.”
But he denied any abuse, or abuse of power.
In one excerpt describing the relationship, he said: “I categorically and emphatically deny that on January 25, 2013, I went to complainant’s office, “grabbed” and kissed her, forcefully fondled her private parts and raped her.
“The truth is that on that day she came to my office at least three times for reasons related to work. We had intimately kissed in my office on each of those occasions. Round about midday in her office I also kissed her and that kissing eventually led to us making love.
“I did lock her office door but only to ensure that no one else could come in. Brief intercourse took place whilst we were standing.
At no stage did she ask me to stop. After that I asked her affectionately if she was okay, and when she assured me that she was okay I left the office.”
It was only later, he reported, that both the woman’s husband and his own wife had become embroiled in the matter - which had culminated in the exchange of legal demands.
“Despite my wife’s anger, my wife immediately realised that I was being set up,” Vavi said.
While Vavi was expected to face an internal disciplinary hearing on Monday, his lawyers have also warned the complainant that any repeat of the demands would be met with legal action, in the form of an interdict.
“I choose to fight to defend the right to human dignity of all those involved in the two families.”
Cape Argus