In the article that appeared in Isolezwe of the 23rd August 2012, on page 11, the statement made by NUMSA KwaZulu Natal claims that SADTU is on a campaign to stop Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi from being re-elected as the General Secretary of COSATU.  According to NUMSA Zwelinzima Vavi may falter plans for the re-election of Zuma in Mangaung.

SADTU is very disturbed and disappointed by the growing tendency of debating issues in the media because we don`t know whether people opt to act in this manner simply because they can`t tolerate the democratic processes within our noble organisations. We believe it is only the anti-majoritarian tendency who would adopt the media as their platform of engaging on internal issues of the movement. NUMSA is an affiliate of COSATU equally so is SADTU and COSATU creates the space for all affiliates to engage on issues. This growing tendency is of people who always absent themselves in meetings and go to the media to canvass and mobilize, through their statements, the society against certain individuals.

We would like to put it on record that these claims by NUMSA in KwaZulu Natal are a fallacy and a concoction by those who do not want to see peace within our federation. It is our view that when people have different views on any issue they should voice it within our organisation, which is the federation. It is a shock and disturbing to us that we should hear of such plots in newspapers. It is our culture that we allow debate at COSATU Provincial Executive Committee meetings and that debate is allowed to be robust and then if we fail to agree the matter can be taken to higher structures for further engagement.

SADTU respects democratic processes and in our union it`s only the National Executive Committee that will have a final say on the resolutions including who will lead the federation after the congress.

What remains important is to remind NUMSA that the issue of whether SADTU or any affiliate wants to oust the General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi  is a non-issue to us as our understanding tells us that during the congress itself the leadership of COSATU will have to vacate their positions as per the constitution. Their term of office would have lapsed. Then affiliates of cause will have the responsibility of electing the new leadership. 

We are perturbed by the conduct of NUMSA KwaZulu Natal despite the fact that they have been advised by COSATU KwaZulu Natal to refrain from unbecoming behaviour. We therefore hope that COSATU KwaZulu Natal will take this matter seriously as it poses a potential to saw divisions within COSATU. We believe that it is not in the culture of any COSATU affiliate to make reckless statements which are unfounded and cannot be verified.  Our primary objective is to better the conditions of workers wherever they work and ensure that more are employed through job creation and fight for a living wage. Those are our daily issues and secondary issues cannot preoccupy us.

Comrade Mbuyiseni Mathonsi, the Provincial Secretary of SADTU KwaZulu Natal, remains a disciplined leader of our revolutionary movement and has the responsibility to further provide direction and advance the decisions of the organisation.   We therefore warn those who are bent on isolating him that he will ever remain the hope for the working class and the poor.

ISSUED BY PROVINCIAL WORKING COMMITTEE