By Tom Mhlanga NUMSA’S BEHAVIOR DO NOT ONLY DEVIDE COSATU AND THE ALLIANCE BUT ALSO THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA This recent behaviour of NUMSA is a clear indication how money politics can be used to divide a very solid organisation. Since its inception, COSATU has been a backbone of the workers struggle in South Africa, it has been the cause of pain to many company bosses who are totally against collective bargaining. This is because many company bosses see collective bargaining as an obstacle to their profit maximization agenda. The unity of COSATU has been a pillar of the workers struggles in South Africa but the recent development within the trade union federation is a sign that COSATU is being infiltrated both from within and outside. The question is why would certain individuals want to divide this giant federation? It is alleged that the NUMSA clique led by its Secretary General, Irvin Jim was lobbying for the suspended Secretary General of COSATU, Zwelinzima Vavi to be the deputy president of the ANC so that Jim will take over as the Secretary General of COSATU. This plan did not materialise. In the aftermath of the past events NUMSA has been hell-bent to see the leadership of COSATU elected in 2012 fragmented. This goes with the leadership of the ANC elected in the same year in Mangaung. NUMSA seems to be totally against the outcomes of both the COSATU congress and ANC congress. Since these congresses NUMSA has taken an oppositionist stance against the alliance partners. According to his own admission, the suspended COSATU SG has slept with an employee at the workplace which he even apologised for his unacceptable behaviour. It is important to note that this was not the only reason why Vavi was suspended. Some reasons include among others misusing COSATU’s credit card, the scandal with regard to selling the old COSATU House and the buying of the new one. The main point of contention here is that NUMSA together with eight other affiliates use Vavi’s suspension as their argument for their battle against the federation and the alliance. Jim and his clique went as far as stopping their affiliation fees and their contribution to the ANC election campaign and even vow not to campaign for the ANC in the next coming election. This is a clear behaviour of a union that think it is bigger than the trade union federation itself. Recent statements by Jim and his clique insulting the leadership of the alliance partners and the call for special national congress has got nothing to do with the interest of the workers but their selfish interest to see the alliance fragmented. Like COSATU NOBs said “their aim is to divide the alliance” rather than focussing on issues affecting workers on the shop-floor. It is for these reason why Jim and his clique should be exposed, not to dent their image but to deal with their oppositionist agenda they are wedging. The unfortunate part is that NUMSA has managed to woo 8 other affiliates to fight their proxy wars. These unions have nothing on their agenda to call for a special congress but to save their messiah, Vavi from political wilderness. Is it this because NUMSA is a big and rich union capable of paying for their affiliation fees? This possibility cannot be ruled out since one cannot bite the hand that feeds him. Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto reminded us that “The Communists do not form a separate party opposed to the other working-class parties. They have no interests separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole. They do not set up any sectarian principles of their own, by which to shape and mould the proletarian movement”. So what is hullaballoo by NUMSA wanting to open a socialist party? At whose class interest is this socialist party going to benefit? It is no doubt that the pseudo-socialist party-in-waiting will never serve the interest of the working class and the poor. It will be another EFF relying on sloganeering and not realist politics. It will be another political party launched to be the vehicle of enriching few individuals who do not care about the workers but their stomachs. This is already happening in the NUMSA clique led by Jim and Cloete. The CEC of the SACP asked the membership of NUMSA to ask for clarity with regard to the following issues: Irvin Jim and his deputy general secretary and long-standing business partner Karl Cloete should be challenged to undergo independent life-style audits. While SACP members serving in parliament and the executive are constantly maligned by the NUMSA leadership clique, they are all accountable to parliament and to the public, and are required to submit annual disclosures of interest. There is no such transparency when it comes to the NUMSA leadership clique. Irvin Jim must be asked to explain what his role was when he chaired the Eastern Cape tender board, and whether he benefited personally in any way. Irvin Jim and Karl Cloete must be asked to come clean on the work of the NUMSA investment arm and its relationship to its holdings in Dove, the funerals, insurance and finance company. What is the relationship between NUMSA`s Doves Absa account, the Eriotrax FNB account and Brevity Trade 12? Have the membership of NUMSA, or broader leadership collective, even heard of these entities? Irvin Jim must explain his individual role in December 2010 in allotting Preference Shares from Brevity Trade to Eriotrax, and what was the purpose of so doing? Comrade Cedric Gcina, in his resignation letter as NUMSA president last week referred to a NUMSA Absa account and his differences with Jim in this regard? What exactly was Cde Gcina referring to? Can the NUMSA leadership clique assure NUMSA members that funds earned through Dove and other NUMSA Investment arm activities are not being diverted into a web of personal accounts, businesses and war-chests? What is the role of Khandani Msibi, Mahlubi Mazwi, Mphumzi Maqunqo, and Azwell Banda and their private businesses? Jim and his clique’s only response to the above issues was that SACP leadership must first do lifestyle audit themselves before they can do their own. This is clearly a defensive reply coming from pseudo-Marxists who are obsessed with Business-Unionism. If these leaders are genuine with their calls for anti-neoliberalism and anti-capitalism stance they should have come in the open so that workers will gain confidence in their leadership capability. It is now time for all the workers of South Africa to unite and expose this divisive agenda that only seeks not only to divide South African workers but also the people of South Africa in general. Workers should abstain from fighting proxy wars that have got nothing to do with their agenda but an agenda that seeks to enrich few individuals. “WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOOSE BUT YOUR CHAINS” Tom Mhlanga is BA student at Wits, writing in his personal capacity
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 14:36:00 +0000
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