Vavi left out in the cold, for how long? No one knows

Kgothatso Madisa

@kgmadisa

Suspended Zwelinzima Vavi. Picture: Twitter

Cosatu’s General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has been officially placed on “special leave” pending a disciplinary hearing after admitting to having sex with a junior worker at the Cosatu House.

Vavi was suspended yesterday at a Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting which was attended by most of Cosatu’s affiliates.

Responding to a question about the meeting being null and void due to pronouncing the outcome before hand, federation’s president Sdumo Dlamini reiterated that the meeting was legal and recognised as well as the decision to suspend Vavi.

“Special CEC was convened following Cosatu’s constitution, did the matter discuss the complains of other affiliates on whether this was convened properly or not? The answer is yes and the meeting agreed that it was properly constituted”

Cosatu said that they have decided to suspend both Vavi and the staff member in question
since they believe the two should be treated equally and has also urged the media to be fair and not only defend Vavi.

This comes after Vavi, who was clearly overwhelmed by the pressure, admitted publicly to having “consensual” sex with a subordinate at Cosatu’s headquarters during office hours.

Vavi felt the need to make conversations between him and the said ‘subordinate’ public after the woman laid charges of rape, which she later withdrew but the damage was already done.

Zwelinzima Vavi and Sdumo Dlamini. Picture: Twitter

This was enough ammunition for Vavi’s cronies who have been on a pursuit to remove him from the SG seat for a while. i.e.: Having sex in the workplace is unethical and one could be fired for such conduct.

Dlamini who has been known to be one of the people who want Vavi out, said that his actions have brought Cosatu into disrepute.

He has however maintained that there is no witch-hunt against the SG.

“In this federation there is basically no animosity between two leaders, Cosatu engages in its own processes.  There is no political conspiracy, there is no way it can be,” insisted Dlamini.

Deputy General Secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali who will be taking over Vavi’s duties said that arrangements will be made in due time to ensure that Vavi still has access into the building.

Although Cosatu did not want to disclose sanctions posed on Vavi, he remains powerless from this day onwards and no one knows how long the hearings will take, could be one month or two years. That should give him enough time to apologise to his wife and mend his family relations.