2005-11-18,+COSATU,+Devils+advocates+are+hard+at+work

= Devils advocates are hard at work =

The quotation attributed to COSATU’s Paul Notyhawa in today’s Star, by Thokozani Mtshali, is misleading and a misconstruction of what had been said. Such an out-of-context misquotation can not go unchallenged and uncorrected.

The facts are as follows: Yesterday at about 18:25pm Thokozani Mtshali, from Independent Newspapers, phoned and asked to be given a minute’s interview in order to clarify his confusion over COSATU’s stance on the rape allegation levelled against the Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC) by the “Sunday Times” and “The Star” newspapers.

He said: “Paul we have reliable information from senior comrades in the ANC that comrade Jacob Zuma is going to be suspended this coming weekend by the NEC of the ANC as the result of these rape allegation in the newspapers. Secondly we have been speaking to some senior leaders of COSATU who do not support COSATU’s stance of Monday, and who further expressed the view that the Federation has miscalculated in making its position of supporting JZ known before all the facts of this matter are known.

“If one takes seriously the views of these COSATU leaders one would be correct to conclude that there is a deviation or a change of heart within the rank and file of COSATU from what it has said earlier. Now in the light of these developments, is COSATU’s position still the same as expressed on Monday? Further, in the light of the coming 16 days of activism against women and child abuse, what will be COSATU’s stance if, indeed, new facts indicating that JZ has committed this alleged offence can come out?”

I answered the gentleman’s questions as follows: “It is worrying that journalists continue to talk to unknown and faceless “comrades” of the ANC to pursue a certain angle of the story, only to come to us, the genuine and known comrades, to verify the truthfulness of such stories. It indicates that those unknown and faceless “comrades” are unreliable, but the journalist will continue to publish their stories. We condemn that as bad journalism.

“Further, the NEC is the constitutional structure of the ANC. Its meetings and the manner in which issues are sponsored into its agenda are regulated by policies, meetings’ guiding objectives, rules and regulations as appearing in its constitution. When its meetings and agenda have been fixed for a particular period, there is no way that a certain issue will enter into the agenda through the back door of the media, as the journalist wishes. I therefore do not trust the allegation that comrade JZ will be suspended, subsequent to the newspapers rumours.

“How would the matter find itself into the agenda of the ANC in the first place? You do not just write a story in a newspaper and expect it to be part and parcel of the ANC’s agenda. Further, the ANC is too old and experienced to be fooled by young journalists who wish to change its course through the articles and stories they write.

“In order to influence the ANC’s direction and its positions on any matter, you must join one of its branches, as they are the basic unit where issues are debated and concluded. Anything else will not stand the recognition of the NEC.

“On the matter of “some senior leaders” of COSATU expressing a different opinion to that of Monday, as you allege, I must state that there is no such deviation or change of heart within the rank and file of COSATU, as you have put it. The position of COSATU expressed on Monday was the product of the National Office Bearers (NOBs) meeting, a constitutional structure of COSATU with a full mandate and authority to take and execute decisions on behalf of the Federation.

“The Central Executive Committee (CEC), which will be held next week, is the only structure that may change the decision of the NOBs, not individuals speaking on condition of anonymity. Since there has not been any other meeting in session of a structure higher than the NOBs, Monday’s position still stands. No faceless, anonymous and cowardly “leader” claiming to be speaking on behalf of COSATU must be given recognition by the media.

“You continue to call these people leaders, whilst they are faceless, anonymous and counter-revolutionary. You continue to give them an audience and recognition they do not deserve. That is wrong and counter-revolutionary. True leaders and revolutionaries speak out publicly on matters, even if such matters can put their popularity into trouble. This is the time in which our movement and the nation need leaders who are going to give guidance publicly, and not faceless, anonymous cowards and counter-revolutionaries.

“No matter how controversial may be an issue at hand, our true leaders like, comrades Motlanthe, Nzimande, Vavi, Madisha, Mbeki, Zuma, Mantashe, etc, express their views publicly in a quest to give guidance to the nation. Our people are sick and tired of this phenomenon of faceless and anonymous people who claim to be their leaders. It must stop.

“We are aware, however, that often the faceless and anonymous people are products of journalists’ own fictitious creation. Many times these faceless and anonymous people are journalists themselves, who are out to sow seeds of division within our movement. The same may be true in this instance as well.

“About new facts that may come to light in regard to the rape allegations in the newspapers and the campaign against children and women abuse, I must indicate that COSATU supports this campaign. We do not only support it for the 16 days ascribed to it, but we are committed to the cause of stopping violence and abuse against the women and children at all times. As the campaign commences, just watch us - we shall be in the front of that battle and we shall not be wearing any mask to hide our faces.

“Indeed, if new facts may come out about these newspapers’ rape allegations, and such facts lead to an arrest and thus a court case takes place, which reaches a guilty verdict on those allegations, we shall humbly change our position, and we will also pronounce it loudly and publicly that we are very disappointed.

“We shall not ask to speak anonymously as cowards and counter-revolutionaries. We shall swallow our pride and explain to the nation why we have taken the position that we have advocated. Anything less than the courts’ verdict will not shake us. We are fixed like a northern star in our noble position. We shall not allow the media to push us around with their rumour-mongering. Not again.”

That is what I told the “Star” gentleman, but none of it appears in his story. As I spoke to him about the journalists who want to sow seeds of division within our movement, I did not know that I was talking to a bird of the same feather. At least now I know. COSATU still stands by its position. No amount of rumour-mongering or misrepresentations will change us.

Paul Notyhawa (Spokesperson) Congress of South African Trade Unions 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets Braamfontein, 2017 P.O.Box 1019 Johannesburg, 2000 South Africa Cell: 082 4911 591 Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24 Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940 E-Mail: paul@cosatu.org.za