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Cape Town - The Cosatu executive on Friday came out with all guns blazing against the affiliates who called for the federation’s special national congress, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
In a 57-page draft discussion document, it is made clear that there is no intention of allowing debate or discussion about the reinstatement of the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) or of general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. Yet these are the two issues that the dissident unions that called for the congress want settled once and for all.
The authors note that the document “has been prepared under the dark cloud of plans by some within and outside of the federation to undermine it as part of undermining the Special National Congress as a whole”.
The federation’s first president, Elijah Baraji, is quoted as saying: “We have to make it clear to all that a giant has risen which will confront all who stand in its way, as Cosatu will not stand for defeat.”
There is also awareness of a plan “to undermine the Special National Congress.... to force through a demand of adding other agenda items”. The “other items” clearly refer to discussions regarding the call to reinstate Numsa and Vavi. However, the discussion document spends pages on explaining why the executive carried these out.
Titled "Building Unity and Cohesion of Cosatu to advance the National Democratic Revolution", it notes that “reports and evidence” exist of “planned disruptions” of the congress.
“Was the request to convene the Special National Congress aimed at destroying Cosatu or was it aimed at building unity of our glorious federation?” it asks.
The authors also claim to have “received reports that a war chest which runs into millions of rands have (sic) been created and its (sic) is intended to be used to disrupt and collapse the Special National Congress, divide unions and to launch a new federation”.
All of this is part of “an increased offensive against the workers and the working class all over the world including in our country”.
