The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has decided not to appeal its expulsion from Cosatu, saying it agreed with former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe that the tripartite alliance – between the ANC, SA Communist Party and Cosatu – was dead.

It has been a year since the Cosatu’s central executive committee took the decision to expel the federation’s largest affiliate, Numsa.

Since Numsa’s expulsion, Cosatu has admitted a new metalworkers union, the Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa (Limusa) as an affiliate.

“We cannot waste any more of workers’ money in trying to get a court to force the federation to take us back when it is clear that Cosatu has been hijacked by the ANC-led alliance, turning Cosatu into a labour desk of the ANC and the SACP,” the union said in a statement on Monday.

Cosatu, in reaction to Numsa’s statement, said it had not received a formal letter from Numsa informing it that the union was withdrawing its appeal.

“Until such time that they officially inform the federation of their decision, we will not take any different decisions on the matter,” Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said.

Numsa said its nine regions and 52 locals were unanimous in their decision to finally part ways with Cosatu and not try to re-enter the fold.

Numsa said its members felt there was no point in appealing because it was clear from Cosatu’s special national congress held in July that the trade union federation’s president Sdumo Dlamini’s “clique” would do everything in their power to exclude Numsa and expelled Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

Vavi was expelled from Cosatu in April this year.

There were calls, by affiliates which supported Vavi and Numsa, for Cosatu to allow them to appeal their expulsions at the special congress, but permission was denied.

If they were going to appeal, they would only be allowed to do so at the normal congress to be held later this month.

“As Numsa, we have undertaken all efforts to reclaim Cosatu, but that this has been in vain,” the union said.

Numsa said it agreed with Motlanthe that the tripartite alliance was dead.

“Numsa abandoned the ANC and was also expelled from Cosatu for precisely arriving at this correct political position, among other important things. The alliance is dead,” said Numsa. News24