Numsa and Vavi officially expelled from Cosatu

Thursday 26 November 2015 - 3:49pm
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Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi. Rape charges against him have been dropped by the woman who had accused him.

Watch the live proceedings of day four of Cosatu&39;s 12th congress here.

JOHANNESBURG - The National Union of Metalworkers of South African (Numsa) would not have not succeeded in appealing its expulsion from Cosatu, the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) said on Thursday.

“Numsa did not show remorse after they were expelled. Their appeal could have not succeeded in this congress,” Simon Mathe, deputy general secretary of Samwu, said at Cosatu’s 12th congress taking place in Midrand in Johannesburg.

He added that Numsa had waived their right to appeal.

 

 

Samwu was supported by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union ( Popcru), South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) countered that the Numsa matter was not handled well, with general secretary Katishi Masemola arguing that the report before congress was inaccurate.

“The CEC [ Central Executive Committee] does not state how Numsa representation of two hours and 59 pages document was dealt with. The CEC quickly put the matter to vote…”

Masemola said the charge against Numsa of expanding its scope of operation was not correct as some other unions were also guilty of the same charge.

“We, as Fawu, are guilty of the same offence, so are other unions, but we are not expelled,” he said.

Fawu had wanted the congress to reinstate Numsa as an affiliate of Cosatu.

The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) said there was another Cosatu union organising on Saccawu’s scope of operation but that no action had been taken.

“We want to be on record that the decision to expel Numsa was wrong. At one CEC meeting we raised a concern that another union was on strike at Shoprite/Checkers where we operate. The CEC noted the matter and that union was not expelled,” the union said.

Numsa took a decision at its CEC meeting in November not to appeal its expulsion, stating there was no point to appeal.

National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) president Thamsanqa Matosa urged the congress to encourage all metal workers to join the Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa (Limusa).

The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) told the congress that it was abstaining from voting on the expulsion of Numsa, saying it did not want to be involved in political spat.

Chairperson of the session, Tyotyo James, put the expulsion of Numsa to vote.

Meanwhile, the expulsion of former general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, which had been put put forward at a special Cosatu congress in June, was also confirmed on Thursday.

 

 

The overwhelming majority of delegates voted in favour of kicking Vavi out – 1183 voted to confirm his dismissal, 87 were against and 27 abstained.

“Hamba ka hle Vavi weNumsa [go well Vavi of Numsa],” delegates sang as election officers counter the votes. Voting was conducted by show of hands.

 

 

 

 

The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) supported by the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) called on the congress not to rush in confirming Vavi dismissal without debating the underlying caused to his dismissal.

Vavi was kicked out of the Cosatu in March, for bringing the trade unions federation into disrepute and dividing it.

Some delegates chanted “Vavi must fall” during the counting of the vote.

- Additional reporting ANA

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