HUNDREDS of unionists at the national congress of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Wednesday threw down red caps issued at the meeting in disgust that they were made China and not South Africa. The powerful union has long campaigned for workers to buy locally made goods and criticised the dumping of cheap goods from Asia on the local market. Opening the three-day congress in Midrand, Cosatu acting general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi admitted a “huge mishap” in the federation’s order for red cloth caps issued at the gathering. He urged those who had been issued with the Chinese and not South African caps to dump them in front of the hall, prompting about half of the 2200 delegates to abandon the offending headgear.