ANC intervenes as fresh battle looms between Vavi, Cosatu
warring factions. The crisis in Cosatu, one of the ANC’s main campaigners, has weakened the federation to an extent that it is struggling to carry out its election work for an ANC victory.
There were also concerns that a split in Cosatu could lead to a formidable workers’ formation that would oppose the ANC and organise one of its crucial constituencies, the working class.
The EFF was already competing for the youth votes.
Ramaphosa and Duarte’s attendance came after supporters of Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini planned to suspend Vavi again and also suspend his backers, the metalworkers’ union Numsa.
The previous day, the ANC appealed to the warring groups to postpone yesterd meeting and allow for more peace talks facilitated by the ruling party.
However, the ANC task team on Cosatu failed to stop yesterday’s meeting.
Sources in the meeting told the Daily Dispatch’s sister paper, Sowetan, that the meeting got off to a dramatic start when Vavi supporters questioned the presence of Cosatu’s second deputy president Zingiswa Losi, saying she was no longer a federal official after resigning as a Numsa shopsterward.
A Cosatu central executive committee (CEC) member claimed that Ramaphosa pleaded with the organisation’s leaders to stop the fighting.
“He said we should start a process of peacemaking and leave the fighting,” the member said by late yesterday.
The leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Dlamini’s supporters were trying to block the ANC from addressing the meeting.
“We are struggling adopt the agenda.
“It is tough here,” the leader said by midday yesterday.
“Sdumo’s group is refusing [to allow] the ANC to address the meeting.
“How do you not allow the ANC to address if they are part of the alliance?”
Cosatu was still debating Ramaphosa’s suggestions late yesterday.
Numsa first deputy president Christine Oliver said her organisation welcomed the ANC’s intervention – although said it should have done so earlier.
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