COSATU condemns rumour-mongering

The Congress of South African Trade Unions roundly condemns the campaign of misinformation, slanders and rumour-mongering by some of "the usual suspects" within our liberation movement.

In particular we denounce a smear that is doing the rounds that COSATU General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, has successfully interdicted the Sunday World to stop them running a story that he has fathered a child, now two months old, outside his marriage. The fabricated story goes on to say that he won the interdict because paternity tests are still to be done.

COSATU totally rejects this absurd allegation and demands that the rumour-monger produce the mother and child or immediately desist from spreading this lie.

This incident reinforces the federation's call for an end to the tendency by a small but dangerous minority within our movement to return to the politics of labelling, name calling, back-stabbing, rumour and scandal mongering. It is not only offensive to the individuals concerned but closes the space for free and democratic debates. It is a tendency which, if we do not put a stop to it, threatens to destroy our movement, our democracy and our freedom.

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, March 4 2010

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