FAWU VIEWS THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST VAVI AS PART OF CONTINUED PROTRACTED SINISTER PROGRAM
The Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU), is concerned, yet not entirely surprised, about a new front waged in the onslaught against Zwelinzima Vavi, the General Secretary of Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
This onslaught, taking a form of allegations of sexual impropriety or even rape, comes on the heels of a failing project trying to link Vavi to some administrative impropriety and to some undefinable and un-describable, if not un-conceptualised, allegations of political/ideological and organizational ‘misconduct', sensationally named strategic rapture yet devoid of any scientific reasoning and factual thesis.
We view this latest episode to be part of a protracted program of ultimately silencing the voice of the office of the General Secretary of COSATU and taming the federation away from its traditional roots and cultural practices of being an independent, militant and campaigning federation.
FAWU; on behalf of food processing, beverage manufacturing, sea-going fishing, forestry, merchandising and farm workers; will then pre-occupy itself with defending the federation by campaigning against the onslaught on Vavi, in addition to implementing the agreed campaigns of the federation and FAWU, be it against neo-liberal NDP, discredited road-tolls, barbaric practice of labour brokers, corruption, slow land reform and agricultural transformation and son.
Whilst we will respect internal processes, on this new front and on existing allegations, we will not be fooled away from tackling and confronting this onslaught, whatever forms it takes.
Meanwhile, we will encourage our members to remain in their organizations and not allow emotions to drive them to mass resignations and joining other unions in protest of the public humiliation against Vavi, rather to rally in his defence.
Statement issued by Katishi Masemola, FAWU General Secretary, July 27 2013
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
