CARIEN DU PLESSIS
COSATU has given President Jacob Zuma a strong message – he has 18 months to shape up or ship out.
The labour federation wants more decisive action from Zuma, particularly in tackling corruption within government and ill-discipline within the movement – such as that displayed by ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi yesterday told journalists on the second day of its four-day central committee meeting at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand that people wanted to see “more decisive leadership” in the run-up to the ANC’s elective congress in Mangaung in December next year – less than 18 months away.
Sources said that during yesterday’s closed sessions, Vavi repeatedly warned of the possibility of a split in the alliance.
Senior SACP leaders at the meeting confirmed that the two leftist organisations had agreed to unite in their call for Zuma to be more resolute – and would also be closing ranks against Malema, despite their differences.
They made it clear that Cosatu and the SACP were unlikely to support a challenger to Zuma’s leadership at this point – but didn’t rule out the possibility arising in the future.
“We saw decisive leadership at the (ANC’s national general council), but that has since disappeared. We now know that it is possible,” an SACP leader said, referring to the strong line Zuma took at the Durban gathering last September against Malema’s public attacks on ANC leaders.
Said to be on holiday in Italy, Malema has been conspicuous by his absence from the Cosatu meeting, where the league is represented by newly elected secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa and spokesman Floyd Shivambu.
Vavi confirmed yesterday that it was not only the icy Highveld weather that had caused Zuma’s frosty reception at the start of the central committee meeting on Monday, with unionists failing to muster much enthusiasm even for Zuma’s signature song, uMshini Wami.
Cosatu played a pivotal role in Zuma’s becoming ANC president. In September 2009, just months after being elected as the country’s president, Zuma’s reception at the same venue was markedly warmer.
“Normally when he comes to visit Cosatu, members in the hall catch fire. People shout and sing and make statements of support. Yesterday (Monday) we didn’t get that,” Vavi said.
He said the movement wanted Zuma to act against Malema if he stepped out of line. “You call people at night and tell them what is the line, and if they don’t listen, you subject them to a disciplinary committee.”
At the recent ANCYL congress, Malema attacked both Cosatu and the SACP, saying the league would replace them as “the vanguard of the working class”.
He also called for land grabs, forcing the ANC and the government into another round of assertions that this was not official policy.
Vavi also said corruption allegations such as those against Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka and Northern Cape ANC chairman and MEC John Block, as well as officials at Limpopo’s health department should be dealt with more speedily.
The meeting is expected to end tomorrow.