COSATU CEC decision on Willie Madisha
The Congress of South African Trade Unions wishes to clarify the decision - to "defend its cohesion and coherence" - taken by its Central Executive Committee (CEC) last week (25-27 February 2008). The meeting resolved that "ill-discipline will no longer be tolerated" and that decisions taken by the majority after following due democratic processes must be respected by all comrades who are in the leadership, without exceptions.
The meeting decided to establish a disciplinary committee to enforce the code of conduct that the November 2007 CEC adopted, and agreed that the NUMSA General Secretary and the former President of COSATU would be subjected to disciplinary action for ill-discipline. In addition, the chairperson of the Gauteng Province in particular and the Gauteng POBs in general were warned that if in future they show any sign of disrespect for collective decisions they will be subjected to discipline in line with the code of conduct.
There is no truth whatsoever in a report in the Mail & Guardian (29 February 2008), that "at least three other senior leaders from major Cosatu affiliates face the axe ... as pro-Zuma Cosatu leaders led by general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi move to clear out unreliable elements in advance of next year's general election".
In particular it is totally untrue, as the M&G clams, that the CEC discussed any action against "Welile Nolingo and Pasco Dyani, respectively the general secretary and president of Cosatu's chemical industry affiliate" (CEPPWAWU) or that "Zuma supporters in the federation are investigating ways and means of moving against them".
It is also not true that the COSATU General Secretary was personally responsible for the fall of Willie Madisha or has held a grudge against him for three years. The decision to remove the President was taken by the CEC - attended by 90 representatives from all COSATU unions - with not a single dissenting voice.
COSATU also wishes to nail the repeated lie about the alleged misuse of a credit card by the General Secretary. This was the subject of an investigation by five union presidents, who concluded that no-one, including Willie Madisha, could produce any evidence to back up this story that had been planted in a newspaper by some faceless person.
Consequently, it is not true that in response to the newspaper allegations, the GS "paid back" money owed on the credit card. We appeal to journalists to refer to the five presidents' report of the investigation that has been published, and use this, rather than relying on leaks from faceless individuals, to establish the truth.
Statement issued by Cosatu March 3 2008
