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Johannesburg - “There is no crisis in Cosatu, merely a challenge,” the federation’s acting spokesperson, Ntai Norman Mampane, maintained on Sunday afternoon.
And the challenge, he said, would be met on Monday, with the overwhelming majority of the delegates attending the special national congress (SNC) in Midrand voting along with the executive for “unity and cohesion”.
There would definitely not be any mention on the agenda of the expulsion of the federation’s largest affiliate, metalworkers’ union Numsa, and Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. Should these matters arise, they would be held over to the scheduled national congress, probably in November.
Mampane’s exuberant expression of confidence is based on the numbers of delegates accredited to Cosatu affiliates attending the SNC and the positions so far taken by their executives.
The largest delegation is from the staunchly loyalist National Education, Health and Allied Workers‘ Union (Nehawu), followed by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu). Between them, they have 1 037 of the 2 548 delegate votes.
However, the NUM has already shown itself to be split, with the recent election of David Sipunzi as general secretary, unseating Frans Baleni, one of the most vociferous supporters of the expulsions and the status quo. But Sipunzi only won by nine votes and his election has come under extreme pressure, especially from the Mpumalanga region of the NUM.
Judging by comments made by several delegates, there is unlikely to be an open flare-up of hostilities on Monday. Instead, there will almost certainly be numerous procedural wrangles about how the Cosatu constitution should be interpreted.
But there have been threats from the executive that no disruptions or attempts to raise “additional matters” from the floor will be tolerated. Security has also been strengthened.
* Don't miss Fin24 Inside Labour columnist Terry Bell's exclusive coverage of the special national congress.
