NUM takes issue with both Business Day and Daily Maverick articles
On Business Day
The NUM has noted two inaccurate articles published in both Business Day and the Daily Maverick of today. The first is an article written by Natasha Marrian published by Business Day under the headline "Subtle jabs at COSATU leadership's lengthy tenure". Firstly, it is incorrect and untrue that in her address to the NUM Youth Forum, COSATU ‘s second Deputy President Zingiswa Losi pointed to "arrogance" and "workerism" from within the federation.
Therefore, to write that " the future leaders of the NUM received a baptism of fire into the internal politics of COSATU..." and then use concepts such as "appeared" and "subtle" in order to justify the writer ‘s position is pure unethical journalism. Nowhere in her speech has the Cosatu Deputy President ever referred to the leadership of COSATU or Zwelinzima Vavi or any other affiliate as having stayed too long in their position or being arrogant or workerist. She instead cautioned the young workers to learn from other people ‘s mistakes and referred to Swaziland ‘s TUCOSWA.
Whilst Marrian acknowledges that Comrade Losi never mentioned or referred to anyone by name in the sentence "Without mentioning Mr Vavi, she said the events unfolding in the federation today were surprising...", it is however surprising that she continues to insinuate that the Deputy President was referring to comrade Vavi.
Whilst she is free to interpret what was said in that meeting in whatever way she wishes, she has got no right whatever to attach her wrong interpretation as if it was what was meant by comrade Losi. If she admits as she does that comrade Losi never mentioned anyone by name, where on earth did she take the names that she is attaching in the article from?
On the Daily Maverick
The NUM has further noted the article contained in the Daily Maverick under the headline "NUM: Fighting fire with fire" written by Greg Nicolson. Whilst it is true that some AMCU leaders have blamed the NUM for the death of their leader, it is public knowledge that the deceased and his leadership were not on talking terms over the deceased ‘s call for a congress to elect new leadership for their union.
The Daily Maverick is totally out of order and irresponsible to write that the "NUM is fighting fire with fire" therefore insinuating that the union is responsible for the murder. The writer then goes on and on about what union leaders said about defending the union as if defending the union meant taking up arms. This tendency by the Daily Maverick to make something out of nothing shows the poorest standards of journalism and an attempt for a little known publication to climb on the shoulders of our union in order to be visible.
It is public knowledge that the so-called Maverick is staffed by many failed journalists who have on numerous occasions failed to discharge their duties in a manner expected by their profession. The levels of gutter journalism displayed by the Daily Maverick does not only leave much to be desired but shocking as to what goes on in the name of journalism.
The constant attack on the NUM by the Daily Maverick would not improve their reputation or sales or circulation whatever they intend to improve on the back of our union. The publication has on numerous occasions published so much non-sense that it is known in many circles as the Garbage Maverick.
Statement issued by Lesiba Seshoka, NUM National Spokesman, May 13 2013
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