Moshoeshoe+Monare+version+of+COSATU,+The+Star

The Star, Johannesburg, September 14, 2006 //Edition 1//
=Vavi refused nomination until his name was cleared=


 * Moshoeshoe Monare**

Cosatu's popular general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, initially threatened not to stand for re-election at next week's congress unless he was cleared of allegations that he misused a union credit card.

A committee of presidents of five unions are investigating tensions in Cosatu, including allegations that Cosatu president Willie Madisha was secretly investigating Vavi's conduct.

A reliable source in one of Cosatu's affiliates told The Star that Vavi had initially refused to sign forms accepting nomination for re-election.

On the last day for nominations, September 8, Vavi finally signed.

"I signed last week before the initial deadline passed on the 8th," he told The Star.

Cosatu's 21 affiliate unions have nominated him and, according to insiders, Vavi is likely to be re-elected unopposed.

Vavi's initial threat not to accept nomination was confirmed by another source in the federation yesterday.

He was apparently concerned about the transparency and impartiality of the team of five presidents, who are expected to announce their findings tomorrow.

Vavi's concerns about the team of five could have been because three of them "are not necessarily on his side", according to a source at an affiliate union.

They are Petros Mashishi of the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu), Ezrom Mabyana of the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) and Pasco Dyani of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union (Ceppawu).

"But Vavi is likely to be exonerated by this committee. Madisha could be highly criticised for not following the union procedure in not getting buy-in from the central executive committee," said the source.

The other two presidents represented in the committee are Senzeni Zokwana of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Noluthando Sibiya of the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu). The two are said to be loyal to Vavi.

Meanwhile, Madisha has been nominated by about nine unions, which ironically include Satawu, Ceppawu and Samwu, and his own union - the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, as well as the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa).

He is likely to be opposed by NUM deputy president Crosby Moni, Cosatu Eastern Cape chairperson Goodman Wayile and Cosatu KwaZulu Natal chairperson Sdumo Dlamini.

However, the three are not seen as heavyweights within Cosatu.

Moni is seen as a compromise candidate and a product of horse-trading in which the NUM asked Numsa to drop Madisha, in exchange for the mineworkers' support for Wayile, who is originally from Numsa.

However, there is much tension and speculation that even though the nominations process is closed, the congress might demand that nominations be put forward from the floor.


 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3437206**

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