Zwelinzima Vavi called on nine major unions loyal to his cause to determine the future of Cosatu (Congress of South African Trade Unions) on Thursday, when he addressed the Shop Steward Council in Cape Town. Vavi, who remained defiant that he remained the only legitimately elected general secretary of Cosatu, received a rousing welcome by union members who were flouting Cosatu rules by listening to their leader who was recently expelled from the federation by the central executive committee.

The man, who opponents claim is an agent for the Americans and a friend of Julius Malema, gave his loyal followers a serious quest to find the way forward for the nine unions that back Vavi. Vavi asked them to go back to the factories and talk to their members and ask them whether they should fight for the survival of Cosatu or for the birth of a new federation.

“Do not jump to easy conclusions comrades, Vavi warned his followers. Go back and debate the consequences of our decisions.”

He said the end result should be a federation that fights for the rights of workers. 

“That is what must define you,” he said.

Vavi spent an hour going through the history of the divisions that emerged in Cosatu around his leadership.

A defining moment, he said, was when certain leaders in Cosatu said they would prefer no unity than keeping Vavi in power.

“Everything I have done is for the unity of the federation, he said. And that is the only reason why I was expelled by the CEC.”

The Shop Steward Council loyal to Vavi is convened by these nine unions: the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu), the SA Catering Commercial and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu), the Public and Allied Workers Union of SA (Pawusa), the South African State and Allied Workers Union (Sasawu), the Communication Workers Union (CWU), the SA Football Players Union (Safpu), the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), the Democratic Nursing Union (Denosa) and the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).

To listen to the full interview, visit https://soundcloud.com/fin24/vavi Fin24