Knives+out+for+Madisha,+Moshoeshoe+Monare,+The+Star

The Star, Johannesburg, November 24, 2006 //Edition 2//
=Knives out for Madisha=

//'Blood on the floor' as Cosatu chief narrowly survives pounding//


 * Moshoeshoe Monare**

Just two months after Willie Madisha was re-elected Cosatu president, his most senior colleagues have branded him power-hungry, dishonest and misled by President Thabo Mbeki.

Madisha has narrowly survived an angry labour federation meeting - but not before he took a vicious pounding from his colleagues.

Cosatu's central executive committee, held over three days this week, was described by Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi as "brutally frank, gloves off, and there was blood on the floor".

In a confidential report, five of Madisha's most senior Cosatu colleagues - Vavi, treasurer Arlina Rantsolase, second deputy president Violet Sibani, deputy general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali and former first deputy president Joe Nkosi - distanced themselves from Madisha. They blamed the Cosatu leadership crisis squarely on him.

The report did not mince words, and accused Madisha of misleading his colleagues, dishonesty, leaking information to the press, fabricating stories about his colleagues and not attending meetings.

According to the report, the crux of the problem was a fierce power struggle, and Madisha feeling insecure and sidelined.

Vavi said yesterday that although union members would discuss the report, it would not be made public.

Madisha's pounding emanates from the report compiled by a commission comprising five affiliate union presidents after Madisha secretly investigated Vavi for alleged misuse of a federation credit card.

Yesterday, Madisha denied having investigated his general secretary. He complained to the commission that he had no powers while Vavi was busy "profiling himself".

According to the report, Madisha even recommended a constitutional amendment to prop up his own powers.

"He believes that the powers and duties of the president do not provide him with a guide of what he should do on a daily basis," the report said.

Even after the adoption of a document aimed at minimising the power struggle between the two most senior Cosatu leaders, "tensions continued, mainly because the president still did not embrace (the document) fully".

"The impression given to us is that although there was an intervention on the constitutional power issue, the problem still persists at least on the side of the president as per his submission (to) this commission," the report said.

Madisha's colleagues blamed him for media leaks, which exacerbated tensions in the union.

Madisha and Nkosi - who resigned after allegations of his spying on SA Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande - were also accused of not attending the federation's fortnightly national office-bearer meetings.

"What is of most concern from the submission is the fact that when the president raised issues in the meeting, he raised them in the form of concerns of other national office-bearers, when these concerns were in fact his personal views.

"When the other office-bearers distanced themselves from these views, the president would be angry and frustrated," the commission noted.

Madisha was also accused of changing his position on Cosatu's support for ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma after meeting Mbeki.

Vavi said that after he met Mbeki, Madisha believed Zuma was guilty and dishonest.

"(Vavi) further submitted that the report presented to the president of Cosatu created an impression that the ANC deputy president, comrade Jacob Zuma, was taking Cosatu for a ride.

"Vavi decided to go to Zuma's house to confront him on these allegations. After meeting Zuma, he felt the Cosatu president was misled by (Mbeki) and the national chair of the ANC (Mosiuoa Lekota).

"Even after the general secretary met (Zuma) and went back to clarify the issues (with Madisha), he still believed what (Mbeki) presented to him."

The report said Madisha kept on telling his other colleagues o jele mothaka o, a Sepedi phrase loosely translated as "Zuma is guilty of corruption or rape".

Mbeki's spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, yesterday referred queries to the ANC.

However, ANC spokespersons Smuts Ngonyama and Steyn Speed were not available for comment.

The commission also decided that the allegations about Vavi misusing the credit card should not be pursued further because Madisha had contradicted himself and there was a lack of evidence.

"It is the view of this commission that the conduct of the president Â… should be discouraged and condemned Â… it is up to the federation to take a resolution on what must be done about his conduct."

However, Vavi said, there would not be a witchhunt as the central executive committee had resolved that unity had to prevail.

Madisha was narrowly re-elected president in September. He defeated Eastern Cape provincial chair Zanoxolo Wayile, put forward by a group aligned to Vavi.


 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3559180**

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