Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim wants to take control of Cosatu, the SACP charged on Thursday.
SA Communist Party deputy secretary Solly Mapaila said Jim had hoped to take over from Zwelinzima Vavi as general secretary of the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), were Vavi appointed African National Congress deputy president.
He said Jim had tried, in the run-up to the ANC's elective conference in Mangaung last December, to lobby President Jacob Zuma to install Vavi as ANC deputy president. Businessman Cyril Ramaphosa was elected instead.
As a result, Jim had become determined to split Cosatu and lead a break-away, said Mapaila.
He said Jim had accused the SACP and ANC of dividing Cosatu, while it was he who was dividing the federation.
Special congress
"... It is the Jim-Numsa leadership clique, that since the beginning of this year, has openly been proclaiming a rupture in Cosatu," he said.
Vavi was placed on special leave in August for having an affair with a junior employee.
Nine of Cosatu's 19 affiliates subsequently called for a special national congress, but its president Sidumo Dlamini said Vavi did not feature in their reasons for calling for the special congress.
Numsa has lodged an application in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg challenging Vavi's suspension.
Cosatu has asked it to withdraw the action.
Vavi has lodged papers asking to be added as an applicant. He wants final relief to review and set aside the decision to suspend him.
Numsa last month confirmed that it was debating whether to leave Cosatu, which would in effect mean leaving Cosatu's tripartite alliance with the ANC and the SACP.
Jim said Numsa was being isolated by the ANC and the SACP after coming to Vavi's defence.
Drive wedges
Cosatu has resolved to probe Numsa's conduct.
Mapaila said on Thursday that Jim and his group had factionalised Cosatu on a 'for or against' Vavi platform, instead of working to ensure that Cosatu's internal disciplinary and mediation processes were fair.
He described Jim as a bully who sought to drive wedges wherever possible.
"Anyone who does not agree with his factional positions 100% is presented as the 'enemy'."
Jim said on Tuesday that Numsa had a problem with the SACP under general secretary Blade Nzimande, who is also minister of higher education.
