The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has drafted a letter to Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Intelligence, on concerns that five of its affiliates have been infiltrated by government intelligence operatives.
Among the affiliates named is the beleaguered National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu).
Sources say the letter was tabled at a tense special Cosatu central executive committee meeting on Thursday called to discuss Nehawu’s financial and political problems.
Affiliates in the mining, metal, municipal and education sectors also complained about possible infiltration. The draft letter asks Sisulu if the action is in line with the ministry’s statutory role.
A report tabled at the meeting by Cosatu’s national office bearers says the federation and its affiliates are under ”unprecedented attack” and need to ”close ranks and defend our movement”, but this ”should not be equated with sweeping problems under the carpet”.
Other documents tabled by Cosatu office bearers imply that Vusi Nhlapo, Nehawu’s president, has been used to do ”dubious intelligence work” as part of an agenda to weaken the unions and ”ultimately Cosatu”. Nehawu contributes almost R3-million a year in subscriptions to the federation.
Nehawu faces a financial crisis amid claims that political polarisation threatens its unity. The media, including the Mail & Guardian, have reported allegations surrounding Nhlapo’s status as a worker leader. The M&G has reported that Nhlapo’s contract with Wits University, where he worked as a laboratory assistant, had not been renewed this year and that he was paid from the union’s membership dues at Wits.
This week the Nehawu executive dismissed allegations that Nhlapo earns R400 000 a year, saying he received only a R10 000 a month union honorarium and R2 800 a month from Wits.
The office bearers’ report is extremely damning of Nhlapo, saying it is incorrect for leaders to be paid directly from subscriptions and that Nhlapo accused Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi of leaking a forensic report on Nehawu to the media. It says Nhlapo was ”to an extent” implicated by a Nehawu office bearer in spreading rumours that Cosatu president Willy Madisha, Vavi and communist leader Blade Nzimande were ”CIA spies”.
The report identifies a ”common thread” in media reports that paint union leaders as corrupt and incompetent, and that unions are divided or face financial irregularities or collapse. It implies Nhlapo had a hand in these reports.
Cosatu is likely to recommend that a two-person internal commission investigates the allegations surrounding Nehawu.
Nehawu sources accused Nhlapo of seeking to soften the union’s stance on privatisation to ingratiate the union and himself with the African National Congress. One source said ”the real problem is between Nhlapo and Nehawu, not Nehawu and Cosatu”.
Nehawu has suspended Fikile Majola, its general secretary, and Lindela Dunjwa, its national treasurer, for alleged financial mismanagement.
At its national executive committee meeting this week, Nehawu addressed an anonymous document outlining problems in the party, including the alleged unconstitutional dissolution of two regions. The party promised to deal with the ”faceless people” behind the dossier.
Attempts to contact Nhlapo failed on Thursday.