Senior+officials+quit+Cosatu,+Matuma+Letsoalo,+Mail+and+Guardian

Mail and Guardian, Johannesburg, //16 June 2006 01:23//
=Senior officials quit Cosatu=


 * Matuma Letsoalo | Johannesburg, South Africa**

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is suffering a haemorrhage of key staff officials, in part because of the federation’s stand on African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma.

Among the spate of senior leaders who have resigned from the federa­tion, or are planning to do so soon, is senior economist Neva Makgetla and organising secretary Mncedisi Nontsele.

Nontsele left Cosatu last month to work for a local authority in Queens­town, in the Eastern Cape. Harvard-trained Makgetla, who has been the pillar of the federation’s policy unit, is going to the National Labour Economic Development Institute (Naledi), a labour think tank.

Other senior officials who have tendered their resignations include Cosatu’s international relations secretary Mahlengi Bhengu, trade and industry policy coordinator Tanya van Meelis, senior researcher Elroy Paulus and web design manager Yolanda Makgontso.

Other resignations in the past 12 months include those of former secretariat head Oupa Bodibe, labour market policy coordinator Kagiso Molema and social development policy coordinator Josephilda Nhlapo-Hlope. The resignations are likely to have a major impact on the day-to-day running of Cosatu.

Although some officials interviewed this week cited personal reasons for leaving, the //Mail & Guardian// understands that the federation’s highly sympathetic stance on Zuma is a factor, particularly among women officials.

Sources in Cosatu also attributed the high staff turnover to Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi’s authoritarian management style.

“He rules with an iron fist. He’s always shouting at people,” said one official.

Another blamed Vavi for excessive interference in policy matters. “People feel they don’t have control over their jobs. He always inserts a political hand on policy issues.”

Vavi this week confirmed the resig­nations, but rejected suggestions that they were a result of Cosatu’s position on Zuma or his leadership style.

“It is ridiculous to suggest that people are leaving the federation because of my management style. I am not an authoritarian. How can one be an authoritarian in a vibrant organisation like Cosatu?

“Every Monday we hold meetings where people collectively decide on programmes of the organisation. Cosatu is not a one-man show. A dictator is someone who doesn’t listen to other people. The fact is that I don’t hide on matters — and some people don’t like that,” said Vavi.

Although some leaders within Cosatu believe the federation should have taken a more aggressive stand on the Zuma rape saga, in light of the comments he made in court and his sexual encounter with an HIV-positive woman, Vavi defended Cosatu’s position.

“Cosatu stood firm on its position that the rights of both the alleged victim and the accused should be equally protected and respected, and did not waver on the constitutional principle of innocent until proven otherwise. We defended the democratic choice for those who were openly demonstrating support for either the accused or the alleged victim.”

Four senior leaders within Cosatu, who asked to remain anonymous, told the //M&G// this week that there was general unhappiness among members and officials, women in particular, about the way Cosatu handled the Zuma rape matter.

One woman leader said: “We were never afforded the platform as women to express our views on the Zuma rape issue. I feel so embarrassed about the way Cosatu handled the matter. I wish we could have taken a tougher stand around the issue of HIV/Aids. This is something we have to tackle vigorously during the upcoming provincial and national congresses.”

Approached this week, Bhengu refused to comment. Makgetla said her move to Naledi had been approved by Cosatu. Van Meelis said she had resigned for personal reasons.

Nontsele says he accepted the deployment to local government. Paulus and Mokgontso were not available for comment.


 * From: http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=274700&area=/insight/insight__national/**

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