Sunday Times
*Cosatu boss may have to stay on* *Moipone Malefane, The Sunday Times, Johannesburg, 31 October 2010*Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi could be forced to rescind his decision not to make himself available for re-election in 2012.
This follows sharp criticism from the federation's affiliates who believe Vavi's announcement last year that he would be stepping down was not made in consultation with trade unions.
Vavi came under fire from affiliates at the last Cosatu central executive committee in August for announcing his intentions to leave the post after more than a decade of service.
The committee is made up of Cosatu provincial chairmen and secretaries as well as representatives of its affiliate unions.
"I can confirm that my decision was discussed, but I do not want to talk about it further," Vavi said.
Several unionists who attended the meeting said there were affiliates who felt that Vavi should stay on - especially in light of the renewed tensions between Cosatu and the ANC government.
Affiliates apparently feared the labour federation was losing the power and influence it had gained when it helped president Jacob Zuma ascend to power.
They believed that the ruling party had reverted to its practice before the watershed national conference at Polokwane 2009 of "marginalising" alliance partners and that a strong leader like Vavi was required.
Announcing his decision to call it a day, Vavi told Cosatu's 2009 national congress: "It has been a long, long time comrades ... I cannot stay forever."
He caused a further stir in alliance structures by telling delegates that if he were to be offered a leadership position in the ANC, he would not refuse.
The year 2012 will be a very important one on the local political calender as all alliance partners - Cosatu, the SACP and the ANC - will be holding elective congresses.
Frans Baleni, the general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers and Irvin Jim of the National Union of Metal Workers' of SA are among those tipped to succeed Vavi should he stick to his decision to step down.
A unionist who attended the central executive committee meeting said affiliates grilled Vavi about the matter soon after he delivered his political report. They told him that by announcing that he was leaving, he had sparked an unofficial succession debate within the labour federation.
"We turned on him. We are not saying he will stay in 2012. But he made his announcement without consulting us," said the unionist.
It was also at this meeting that Cosatu-affiliated trade unions raised concerns about the state of the SACP following the departure of its senior leaders to government. Affiliates expressed concern that the departure of SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande to cabinet had paralysed Cosatu's strongest ally.
Some of Cosatu's leaders also serve in the SACP's central executive committee which took the decision to send Nzimande into government.
The Sunday Times has established that Zuma had invited Vavi to join his new cabinet ahead of last year's elections. But this was rejected by Cosatu affiliates at a meeting held in East London ahead of the launch of the ruling party's election manifesto.
*From: http://www.timeslive.co.za/Politics/article735895.ece/Cosatu-boss-may-have-to-stay-on*
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