From the news desk

Vavi mum on future

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Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has remained mum on what his next step will be after the expulsion of Numsa from the trade union federation. On Sunday he took to twitter to explain that he will allow all to have their say before making an official comment.

“Deliberating allowing all of you, unions, alliance, editors and analysts to have their say. Listening to all but will have my say last,” Vavi wrote on social networking site Twitter on Sunday.

Vavi was not answering his phone or responding to sms’s on Sunday.
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) was expelled from the Congress of SA Trade Unions during a special central executive committee sitting on Friday.

At its special congress in December, Numsa decided, in contravention of Cosatu’s constitution, not to support the African National Congress in the May general elections. Cosatu CEC members voted on whether Numsa should stay, with 33 votes for expulsion and 24 against it. On Friday, Jim gave a presentation defending the union against possible expulsion from the Cosatu.

Numsa went to court on Thursday to try and prevent its expulsion.
The case was postponed and the CEC meeting went ahead.
In another tweet on Sunday, Vavi said that, as much as he did not agree with Numsa’s decision to expand its scope, expelling it from Cosatu was not the way to go.

“Whilst I don’t support Numsa decision to extend its scope unilaterally just as others before have also done the same, but expulsion disaster.”

Another tweet read: “Thank you all for your views on the unprecedented and historic expulsion of +350k workers from the federation they built.”
On Saturday he wrote: “Guillotine of +350 000 workers is a game changer & will have profound political and organisational implications — what is to be done?”

City Press reported that Vavi had spent most of Saturday in meetings to decide on his future in Cosatu. According to the newspaper, Vavi had been taking advice on whether to resign, thereby preserving his credibility, or to stay on and fight his case.

Vavi was suspended from Cosatu last year after admitting that he had an affair with a junior employee. Numsa challenged his suspension in court and it was overturned earlier this year and Vavi returned to work. It is rumoured that Vavi could face suspension again or even expulsion from Cosatu. SAPA


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