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Cape Town – The expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) “remains undemocratic and unconstitutional”, while the expulsion of Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi “advanced a particular narrow-minded objective by those with personal interest from the broader interest of the working class”.
That was the message from the SA Security Forces Union (Sasfu) Interim National Task team (INTT), a body with no voting rights, at the Cosatu special national congress (SNC) under way on Monday and Tuesday at the Gallagher Estate in Midrand.
“The true unity of Cosatu cannot be attained without Numsa within all structures of the federation,” the union said in a statement on Monday.
“Numsa was not given a chance to put to test their motion to a congress,” the union said. “An association of leaders in Cosatu resolved on their own to expel Numsa, without being given a mandate to do so by their lower structures.”
Sasfu said the SNC is the correct platform for the Cosatu leadership “to bury the hatchet and strive for the unity of metalworkers and the broader working class society”.
Cosatu has made it clear that the expulsion of Numsa and Vavi is not on the agenda and can only be brought up at the normal congress in November.
However, unions affiliated to Vavi are seeking to challenge this via Cosatu's constitution. This item should arise on Monday at 14:00.
“It remains counter-revolutionary to stifle the debate, closing the interest of workers outside their parliament.”
Regarding the expulsion of Vavi, Sasfu said that rule 10.4.3 of the Cosatu constitution “affirms our belief that it is only at a congress that such suspension or expulsion of any NOBs (national office bearers) will be ratified by the congress, thus remaining effective for workers in particular”.
“However, the constitution does not specifically point to a national nor special congress,” said Sasfu.
“It says at Cosatu congress. Now the talk of ordinary congress in Cosatu is a new entry into (the) Cosatu ad hoc document.
“It is in fact opportunistic, gatekeeping and factional - this indicates to every worker that the current leadership of Cosatu is not committed to unity as they want the workers and the society to believe; how do you preach unity, when your actions point otherwise?”
They also called for Cosatu second deputy president Zingiswa Losi to resign.
“Losi forfeited her right as a shop steward the day she elected to resign at Ford in Eastern Cape as Numsa shop steward, and is now employed by SAPS.
“We call on Zingiswa Losi to resign from all Cosatu leadership positions and board of directors as a result of her presidency in Cosatu,” said Sasfu.
“The involvement of … (Losi) will continue to wreak havoc within the federation as long as her matter is dealt with opportunistically,” it said. “Losi remains a member of the public within a very powerful labour movement in the entire continent; eroding organisational principle for an individual remains counter-revolutionary and opportunistic in character.
“The continued presence of … (Losi) remains a contravention of the very same principle and constitution she so eloquently reads and... that she respect(s)," said Sasfu.
