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Cape Town - By the end of Monday Cosatu’s general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi expects to be informed by the members of the trade union federation’s executive meeting in Johannesburg that he has either been suspended or dismissed from his post.
However, he remains sanguine about the prospect because he is aware that the federation’s constitution does not permit the executive to make any final decision about the expulsion or suspension of any member or affiliate. Such authority is vested in a national delegate conference.
READ: Vavi: I'm not going to resign
He told Fin24 on Monday that his “open defiance” in not attending Monday’s central executive committee (CEC) highlighted the fact that the members of the affiliate unions needed to assert their control over the organisation. He was playing his role in trying to stop “those who want to hijack Cosatu”.
In any event, Monday's CEC was being staged without leaders from a number of unions being present. As such, he was registering his disapproval at the divisiveness that such a gathering represented.
READ: Vavi: It would be a mockery for me to attend Cosatu meeting
Vavi has continued to stress that he has consistently stood for maintaining the unity of the federation. This was why he had not supported the executive decision to expel the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa).
Numsa, which now claims 340 000 members, is the largest union in the country and made one of the biggest monthly contributions to Cosatu’s coffers. This loss of income, combined with the reduction in subscriptions from the National Union of Mineworkers that has haemorrhaged members since the 2012 Marikana massacre, has contributed to Cosatu’s current financial difficulties.
READ: Cosatu facing financial crisis, says Vavi
According to sources in Cosatu House, shortfalls in funds for salaries have been made good by plundering other funds earmarked for activities such as political campaigns. There is also talk of downscaling or even closing down the federation's research facility Naledi and the Chris Hani Institute think-tank.
