The Star *ANC to make use of Vavi* *Carien Du Plessis, The Star, Johannesburg, 30 September 2010*The ANC is considering a suitable position for Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi when he steps down in 2012, says ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.
But Vavi yesterday said he did not want to comment or "open a succession debate" in Cosatu with two years to go before the end of his term.
Speaking on the sidelines of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) national congress in Boksburg, Mantashe told journalists the ANC should look at where it could deploy Vavi, if he told the labour federation in two years' time that he was not available for re-election.
"We don't plan for individuals, but as a cadre of the movement, there is a lot of investment made in him and we don't want to throw that investment away. We must think about it."
Vavi's next job did not have to be a leadership position in the ANC or government, but could be in "farming, a college or political school", Mantashe said.
Vavi, however, told The Star he did not want to speak about plans to step down, despite announcing at his re-election last year that he would resign in 2012.
He has been in the Cosatu leadership for more than a decade."I am carrying through the mandate of Cosatu for the next two years, that's all," he said, adding he had been criticised last year for announcing his intention to step down, and would rather not talk about it anymore.
The ANC last week affirmed its ban on any premature campaigns for leaders to be elected at its next conference in two years' time.
Mantashe, who addressed the Nehawu delegates on behalf of the ruling party, after both President Jacob Zuma and his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, cancelled their appearances at the conference this week, said trade unions were "a school for communism and not an end unto themselves. They must continue generating leadership for society."
Mantashe, a former National Union of Mineworkers leader, lamented that many former trade union leaders who were now in the cabinet were not recognised for their experience in the unions.
They included Social Development Minister Edna Molewa and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. Instead, only Women's Minister Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya and Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel nowadays appeared to get recognition as former union leaders, Mantashe said.
To applause from delegates, he urged unions to "release leaders gradually so that we do not have a crisis of quick turnover of leadership".
He said "unions must grow up leadership and release it for 2012", and that those leaders should not "water down" what they had learnt in the trade unions.
Mantashe also stressed that the ANC and Cosatu "need each other", but, turning to smile at Vavi and Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini, added that the ANC remained the "strategic centre" and the "leader" of the ruling alliance.
Vavi said yesterday that although he recognised the ANC as the leader of the alliance, it could not be the only "strategic political centre" as it had to consult its alliance partners in decisions on policy and government deployments.
Cosatu has also expressed unhappiness that the ANC did not adopt a stance more in its favour at the party's national general council last week, and warned that an alliance summit planned in the next two months could "implode" if no agreement was reached on this. - The Star
*From: http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anc-to-make-use-of-vavi-1.682561* * * * * -- 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] .
<<image/gif>>
