NUMSA condemns Sowetan story "COSATU affiliates turn up the heat on Vavi"
The National Office Bearers (NOBs') of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) condemns the spurious and misleading story in todays' Sowetan "Cosatu affiliates turn up the heat on Vavi".
The story is based on false information and hatched on deliberately twisted discussions by cowardly individuals who claim to be part of the meeting involving Affiliates' Presidents and General Secretaries. We view the story as part of a well-calculated and continuous offensive to publicly smear, humiliate and embarrass the General Secretary comrade Vavi.
Furthermore, we view this as a divisive political and dirty work done by certain forces inside and outside of COSATU, who are desperately wanting to send COSATU to a permanent political slumber amidst the many scandalous and serious challenges faced by the working class and the poor in the country. These forces see General Secretary comrade Vavi as a threat to their self-centered political agendas, and want to use COSATU as a bargaining political power tool elsewhere, at the expense of the workers and the poor.
These forces inside and outside COSATU who miserably failed in their endeavors to have General Secretary comrade Vavi dethroned in the 2012 COSATU National Congress, as General Secretary, now want to go behind the backs of their members, who demonstrated confidence in the leadership of comrade Vavi, want to use the smaller leadership of the COSATU Central Executive Committee (CEC) to stage a coup. Workers shall see these shenanigans for exactly what they represent. Numsa shall battle and fight with all our might not to turn Cosatu into a toothless labour desk.
As Numsa, we refuse to allow COSATU to be used by greedy and power-hungry individuals who have lust for positions of power in the broad liberation movement and the state. We want a COSATU that fearlessly and militantly advances and champions a revolutionary programme guided by the Freedom Charter geared towards improving the living conditions of our people, including fighting corruption vigorously and unashamedly.
We want to state categorically that the COSATU General Secretary comrade Vavi is not being investigated by the CEC. The General Secretary continues to enjoy public confidence and support from the workers across all affiliates.
We reiterate the call made by COSATU's NOBs' for our federation to be given space to address issues internally.
Statement issued by Castro Ngobese, NUMSA national spokesperson, April 9 2013
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