The Congress of South African Trade Unions’s (Cosatu) decision to throw its weight behind Deputy President Jacob Zuma followed a secret meeting at the weekend between Zuma, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande.
The Mail & Guardian has reliably learnt that Zuma met Vavi and Nzimande as part of a furious lobbying campaign triggered by last week’s verdict in the Schabir Shaik corruption trial, which found Zuma and Shaik had a ”generally corrupt relationship”, and President Thabo Mbeki’s ultimatum to the deputy president.
There are rumblings within Cosatu about ”lack of consultation” on the federation’s stance on Zuma.
Vavi denied he had met Zuma over the weekend, while Nzimande would neither confirm nor deny the meeting. ”Things will fall apart if we were to talk about every interaction between alliance leaders in public,” Nzimande said.
The M&G understands the deputy president refused to sign a resignation letter conveyed to him at the weekend by African National Congress secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe on Mbeki’s instructions.
Contrary to some media reports claiming former president Nelson Mandela has sided with Zuma, the M&G understands the latter rejected Mandela’s advice that he step down in the interests of the democratic movement.
The meeting with Vavi and Nzimande, according to sources close to both leaders, was particularly aimed at discussing how Cosatu and the SACP could intervene in support of Zuma. Zuma said he was not ready to appeal publicly for support.
Zuma is seen by some union and communist leaders as the only candidate for the next presidency who would carry forward ”the left project”, aimed at empowering and uplifting the poor. Nzimande has said South Africa’s second decade of democracy should belong to the working class.
Last Monday, after the meeting, leaders of Cosatu’s affiliates met in Johannesburg to discuss the Zuma saga. The federation later announced its unstinting support for the deputy president.
However, union leaders are divided on Cosatu’s stance. At least two large and two medium-sized affiliate unions differ with Cosatu’s official position.
Some told the M&G that the federation’s position was premature, could have far-reaching negative consequences for unions and could compromise Zuma. They asked where Cosatu would stand if charges were brought against the deputy president.
They complained that Cosatu’s hard-and-fast stance would shut down further consultations on the issue among unionists.
A union leader, who asked not to be named, complained that Cosatu’s top leadership had come to the Monday meeting with a ”preconceived decision” on the Zuma matter.
He also suggested that long-term career considerations had influenced some Cosatu high-ups. ”There are people who, for political and ideological purpose are clear what they need beyond the 2009 elections,” said another union leader.