SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) president Mac Chavalala and others who supported a move to place the federation’s general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on precautionary suspension, could face expulsion for allegedly breaching the trade union federation’s constitution.
These were the views of 14 unions affiliated to Saftu after some of the top leadership of Saftu announced the pending actions against Vavi in the media without their knowledge.
Addressing the media, Vusi Ntshangase described the decision of Chavalala and three others as a group of factionalists within Saftu tasked to divide the federation.
“A group of factionalists inside our beloved federation decided to leak to the media a misguided and ill-advised letter with the intent to suspend the general secretary, comrade Vavi.
“Most of our members have seen this letter penned by Saftu president, comrade Chavalala.
“The letter is mischievous and malicious as it sought to portray and smear the Saftu general secretary as possibly corrupt, and to face a possible suspension to answer to a series of so-called misdemeanours including trampling on the Saftu constitution, undermining the decisions of the constitutional structures, assuming the national congress, central committee and the national executive committee,” Ntshangase said.
He was adamant that Saftu’s national executive committee members were not made aware of the allegations prior to it being issued by their top leadership.
“In terms of Saftu’s constitution, the power to suspend the national office bearers is a prerogative and an exclusive reserve of the NEC.
“Clause 3(5), section 3.3(5.3), sub-section 3.3.5, deals with the suspension of an office bearer and it states the following under the power and duties of the NEC that the NEC may: suspend any office-bearer or official of the federation for sufficient cause until the matter is decided at the next meeting of the central committee.”
“We reject with the contempt it deserves the attempt of some national office bearers to usurp this power of the NEC.
“The Saftu general secretary cannot be suspended by his own colleagues.
“That power to take disciplinary action is a preserve and sole prerogative of the NEC,” Ntshangase said.
Saftu NEC is meeting on March 24 and Ntshangase vowed that they would deal with the alleged misconduct acts of Chavalala and his group.
“They are going to face consequences for their actions.
POLITICAL BUREAU