Citypress Online
Monday, November 20, 2006
S'Thembiso Msomi
Cosatu president Willie Madisha and general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi look set for yet another showdown this week with claims that about nine affiliates plan to push for a vote of no confidence in Madisha.
The federation's central executive committee (CEC) meets tomorrow for the first time since its highly-contested national congress where Madisha was re-elected amid serious opposition from Vavi and other senior federation leaders.
Now those who campaigned hard for Madisha's re-election say a new plot is under way to unseat him using a controversial "presidents' committee" report that apparently fingers Madisha for "sowing divisions" and allegedly leaking damaging information about Vavi to the media.
But Vavi yesterday denied that there was such a plot and said "rumours" of a planned vote of no confidence in Madisha was the "work of agents provocateurs".
Conflict between the two Cosatu leaders exploded into the public arena when it was revealed that Madisha had been conducting an internal investigation into claims that Vavi had used a Cosatu credit card for personal use.
Cosatu, at the time, reacted by appointing a committee made up of presidents from various affiliates to investigate the source of the tensions. But the committee, made up mainly of pro-Vavi unionists, focused more on the "leaks to the media" and ignored the credit card claims.
Among the committee members were the presidents of powerful affiliates such as the National Union of Mineworkers and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu). Both unions had declared that they wanted a new president at the helm.
The report was shown to Cosatu affiliates a few days before the national congress but it was decided at that meeting that it would not be circulated further to federation members.
"They have now reneged on that agreement. Because they could not beat Madisha at congress, they now want to use the CEC to get rid of him because they think they will have more support there. They are going around saying they have nine affiliates supporting them," said one senior trade unionist.
"But if they insist on this report, we will be calling for a new commission to be set up by the CEC to investigate everything. If they say the president is responsible for the leaks, let's investigate all the other issues," he said.
Another unionist said "any attempt to pass a vote of no confidence in Madisha would be resisted as it would be tantamount to going against the wishes of the national congress".
But Vavi yesterday said the "vote of no confidence" was not on the agenda. "There is actually no such thing. I have picked up such rumours myself and if it was true, I would have known. I am convinced that there are some agents provocateurs going around spreading such stories in order to create confusion. We are not stupid," Vavi said.
The Vavi-Madisha fallout is linked to the ANC succession battle with the Cosatu president seen as being loyal to President Thabo Mbeki while Vavi is a strong supporter of ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma