Singing, dancing as Vavi stands firm

Cape Town - Former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi received a rousing welcome at a shop steward council meeting of the union federations’ affiliates at its regional headquarters in Salt River on Thursday night.

The mood was festive with singing, dancing and selfies being taken before the meeting got under way as nine unions met to discuss a range of issues.

Vavi, who was dismissed from Cosatu recently, said he refused to be referred to as the former general secretary as he explained his expulsion to the audience.

“I will not call myself a former. I am the only general secretary that was democratically elected in the worker’s parliament,” he said.

“I will become a former once another democratic worker’s election takes place and another general secretary is elected.”

Cosatu’s Central Executive Committee voted to dismiss Vavi in what he said was not a democratic decision.

“I was dismissed because I was calling for unity that includes all of the unions of the federation, that’s why I am now called a former.

“I spent most of my life in worker’s unions, since I was a student activist. When Cosatu was formed I was there. I know the pain of forming and servicing workers. I know what it took to build the trade unions.”

Vavi said his expulsion was not just a “crisis” for Cosatu.

“This is not only a crisis for Cosatu, but a broader South Africa crisis that is disabling the democratic institution in our country.”

The Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Fawu) president, Atwell Nazo, said Vavi’s dismissal was unlawful as there had been no proper hearing.

“You cannot dismiss someone without a proper hearing. We are going to fight this case through the same laws that were used to dismiss him,” he said.

Vavi joked with the audience, saying they would be dismissed if it was found that they attended the gathering.

In a statement, shortly after his dismissal, Cosatu said that Vavi should stop speaking on behalf of the federation and that members should not attend these meetings.

The spokesman for the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), Papikie Mohale, also released a statement after hearing of the meeting and warned members to boycott it.

“Samwu distances itself from this grouping and affirms that we are in no way aligned to the narrow interests of Vavi,” he said.

“Vavi is no longer the general secretary of Cosatu and as such should not be addressing workers organised by Cosatu-affiliated unions.”

Mohale said that they had accepted Vavi’s expulsion as well as the expulsion of Numsa from the federation – and their members should as well.

“Our members should resist from being lured by disgruntled former leaders of the union who claim to be saving Samwu while they know very well that their intentions are to destabilise the union so they can recruit members to their union which just mushroomed from nowhere.

“The federation cannot be held to ransom by a single individual with a bruised ego.”

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