Numsa warns of mass support for VaviJun 4, 2010 5:05 PM| By ------------------------------ Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda should be prepared to take on the entire Congress of SA Trade Unions membership if he pursues his demand for an apology from the federation's general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, says the National Union of Metalworkers of SA. ------------------------------ Communication Minister Siphiwe Nyanda *Photograph by: MOHAU MOFOKENG*
" We would venture to advise minister Nyanda to seriously reconsider the perilous legal route he has chosen. It will lead him to no good " Jacob Zuma "Should Minister Nyanda wish to persist in his futile personal struggle, he is best advised to be suing Cosatu, directly," Numsa spokesman Castro Ngobese said in a statement. "Then he will learn, first hand, the wrath of workers -- some of whom catapulted him into the ANC NEC leadership in Polokwane." The union said Nyanda was grandstanding by demanding an apology from Vavi, who recently complained that neither the president nor the Cabinet had said they would investigate newspaper reports alleging corruption among ministers. After that public statement, Vavi was asked who he was referring to and he said Nyanda, who the Mail&Guardian had earlier reported had run up a R500,000 hotel bill because his official house wasn't ready, and Local Government Minister Sicelo Sicheka, who reportedly inflated his academic qualification. This week Cosatu said it had been told that Vavi will face an ANC disciplinary inquiry over these comments. Nyanda also appointed Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs legal firm to send Vavi a letter demanding a full apology and retraction by June 10. Numsa noted that "dear Nyanda" had not threatened to sue or demand an apology from the media houses. "Needless to say, minister Nyanda should be reminded that comrade Vavi was not speaking on behalf of himself or his extended family. Comrade Vavi was speaking or communicating on behalf of the Cosatu [Central Executive Committee] and more than two million of its members." They were ready to defend their leadership and stand firmly behind his comments. "We would venture to advise minister Nyanda to seriously reconsider the perilous legal route he has chosen. It will lead him to no good," Ngobese said, warning that it would be "suicidal" for the alliance and the ANC to not deal with conspicuous consumption and corruption. Numsa also expressed shock at Cosatu's claim that Vavi had received a death threat in a letter suggesting he would die in a road accident like deputy health minister Molefi Sefularo. They called on the police to track the sources of the threat and work to protecting Vavi. "[Forewarned] is fore armed – the working class and Cosatu will not take kindly to any physical harm that will [befall] our General Secretary." Cosatu has said that Vavi will not apologise as the matter was in the public domain through the media reports. "He wasn't making any fresh allegations," said Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven. "These are people against whom allegations have been made, and that is public knowledge." -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
