Willy Madisha was trying to ”milk dry” the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), it claimed in a statement on Tuesday.
Cosatu had already spent R235 237 on the commission into Madisha’s conduct which recommended he be axed as its president, said spokesperson Patrick Craven.
”We envisage that the cost of defending this case at the Equality Court will run into millions of rands,” he said.
Cosatu’s central executive committee (CEC) viewed this as a ”wasteful expenditure”.
”[Madisha] has no case and no court will ever come to any other conclusion that is different to the CEC decisions on the matter.”
Madisha is demanding his reinstatement and R200 000 in compensation, claiming he has been treated differently to other Cosatu members facing accusations.
His dismissal involves a missing R500 000 donation to the South African Communist Party (SACP).
Madisha has insisted he handed a R500 000 cash donation from a businessman to the SACP’s Blade Nzimande in 2002.
Nzimande denies receiving the cash.
Madisha was expelled from the SACP on May 9 and suspended as South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) president in December.
In April, Sadtu held an inquiry into the effect of his conduct on its reputation.
Its report is scheduled to be handed over to the union’s national executive committee at its next meeting on May 29, said Sadtu general secretary Thulas Nxesi. ”Whether it’ll be finished or not we don’t know,” he said.
The police have yet to confirm whether Madisha faces criminal charges.
In its statement on Tuesday, Cosatu said Madisha contended that it had treated its general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi differently.
This, over alleged abuse of a Cosatu credit card and ”reckless” statements he had made.
”Our lawyers have not responded to this application, but have demanded that he supply specific information to back his claim before they respond,” Cosatu said.
Madisha had since indicated that he intended amending his application in the light of the Sadtu disciplinary inquiry.
”The CEC is convinced that what Cosatu is dealing with is not some ordinary case of an individual defending his right to be treated fairly. What we are dealing with is a counter-revolutionary agenda.
”The idea is twofold, firstly to keep the matter in public view through the courts, not with any intention to win but to generate negative publicity for the federation.
”Secondly, the purpose is to attempt to milk the federation dry at the financial level with the view to weakening it so that it may not continue to play its revolutionary role in the transformation of our society.”
Cosatu suggested Madisha obtained the money to hire three senior counsel from other counter-revolutionaries in the country or abroad who shared his goals.
Cosatu would continue to defend itself in the courts, confident that it had acted in accordance with the law and in its members’ best interests, it said.
However, it would also defend itself politically, ”since we believe this to be a political agenda”, said Craven.
”Our members, alliance formations and the democratic movement will be informed of all the developments of the case so that they can defend Cosatu from this counter-revolutionary agenda,” he said. – Sapa