Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says he fears for his life. Who do you think is after him? and why?
?Vavi is a leader of one of Africa’s prime revolutionary trade union federations. South Africa is a well-developed capitalist country experiencing the vicious effects of colonialism of a special type and the effects of the global crisis of capitalism. It is only logical that a consistent revolutionary like Vavi should be in danger ?from both local and international representatives of capital.
Numsa has called? for the investigation against Vavi to be abandoned. Is it not sending a message that Vavi is above the law?
Vavi is not under any investigation ? n?or has he formally been charged with any offence. What is happening is that there are leaders of affiliates of Cosatu who have raised issues with Vavi, and the CEC [central executive committee] of Cosatu has decided on a facilitated process inside Cosatu to achieve unity, not to pronounce any sentence on anyone.
Our gripe with this process is that it has the potential to paralyse Cosatu and damage irreparably Vavi’s personal reputation and integrity. Further, the process, coming so soon after a congress in which Vavi was unanimously elected, poses serious questions about the internal democratic processes and revolutionary working-?class control of our unions. Numsa is of the view that, if the congress did not achieve unity, then we need to go back to the owners of the federation through a special congress in which all the issues raised can then be tabled and dealt with by formal delegates of Cosatu.
Numsa has no interest in shielding anyone who may legitimately be accused of wrongdoing. Further, no facilitator can pronounce on the political, ideological and organisational health of the federation. This is the central, crucial property of the members of the affiliates of Cosatu.
Don’t you think it is better to let the investigation be completed so that he can clear his name?
Vavi is under no investigation. This is a creation of the media.
Do you see Numsa pulling out of Cosatu if Vavi is booted out?
Numsa holds sacr?ed the unity of the federation. We will spare no effort to defend the unity of Cosatu.
The policies that Numsa is advocating are similar to those of Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters, such as the nationalisation of mines and the expropriation of land without compensation. Y?et Numsa has said it will campaign for the ANC, which you have accused of pushing neoliberal policies? such as the National Development Plan. Is this not a contradiction?
Numsa has been advocating these positions long before Malema. ?These are, in fact, original revolutionary positions of the liberation movement? and the ANC itself.
Our defence of the ANC is not based on some momentary positions the ANC may ?adopt? but on our defence of the national democratic revolution [?NDR], of? which the ANC is the leader ?in the alliance. When you see us articulate our positions, it is because we believe the ANC has a revolutionary responsibility to advance and deepen the NDR. We, as a revolutionary formation of the working class, are not begging the ANC to pursue the NDR. This is its revolutionary task. ?Ours is to defend the NDR.
When are you planning to embark on a nationwide strike to demand ?the nationalisation of mines and other key sectors of the economy?
The latest Numsa national executive committee? has resolved to serve a s?ection 77 [strike notice] in Nedlac [National Economic Development and Labour Council] to table the demands of the workers, and the same demands are forming part of Cosatu’s s?ection 77 that is already served. We will be going to the streets in September.
Why strike if you were part of the ANC conference that? rejected such ?policies and endorsed the National Planning Commission?
We ?have a revolutionary duty to demand that the ANC implement the NDR. We are not “part” of the ANC. Through Cosatu we are in an alliance with the ANC. The alliance is made up of independent formations. ?What brings us together is the NDR that must be implemented by implementing the Freedom Charter, all of it.
As the biggest affiliate in Cosatu, how will you? use this ?position to advance ?your members’ interests?
Among our strategic objectives is the revolutionary unity of the working class?, ?promot[ing]? industrialisation to realise decent jobs and ?defeat[ing] colonialism?. We will do what it takes to advance ?the struggle for socialism.