Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini has opened Cosatu’s special congress in Midrand with a call on the federation to unite to fight its real enemy‚ which he defined as “white monopoly capital“.
He said it was unwise to “pick a fight” with a general secretary — a reference to his fall-out with the expelled Zwelinzima Vavi. No individual could be “bigger than the organisation“.
Referring to the expulsion of the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa (Numsa)‚ he said: “We had to reach decision to expel one of us. They told us straight in the face that you have no right to make us change our congress resolutions. We said‚ please let us talk about that. They said no.”
“If they change their ways...we will listen to their case.”
Numsa had “resolved they want to break this organisation into pieces in their document”.
Dlamini suggested that the US was offering financial inducements to Cosatu members in a bid to bring about “regime change“.
“America is not god. An evil system can also be defeated. Be very careful about organisations from America who are offering funding. There is no free lunch. If somebody gives you money‚ they want something back from you‚” he said.
“The rich are getting richer‚ the poor are getting poorer. The question is: What is Cosatu going to do about that? How is Cosatu going to fight this battle when Cosatu is not united?“
Turning to the report of the Farlam Commission on the Marikana massacre‚ Dlamini said: “Lonmin‚ like all other mining houses‚ will always prioritise maximising their profits at the expense of the workers.”
“It was purely and only about corporate greed.”
Dlamini said unions needed to protest peacefully. “Should we carry sticks and pangas and guns during out strikes? I don’t think so.”
We will listen to Numsa if they change their ways‚ says Dlamini
Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini has opened Cosatu’s special congress in Midrand with a call on the federation to unite to fight its real enemy‚ which he defined as “white monopoly capital“.
He said it was unwise to “pick a fight” with a general secretary — a reference to his fall-out with the expelled Zwelinzima Vavi. No individual could be “bigger than the organisation“.
Referring to the expulsion of the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa (Numsa)‚ he said: “We had to reach decision to expel one of us. They told us straight in the face that you have no right to make us change our congress resolutions. We said‚ please let us talk about that. They said no.”
“If they change their ways...we will listen to their case.”
Numsa had “resolved they want to break this organisation into pieces in their document”.
Dlamini suggested that the US was offering financial inducements to Cosatu members in a bid to bring about “regime change“.
“America is not god. An evil system can also be defeated. Be very careful about organisations from America who are offering funding. There is no free lunch. If somebody gives you money‚ they want something back from you‚” he said.
“The rich are getting richer‚ the poor are getting poorer. The question is: What is Cosatu going to do about that? How is Cosatu going to fight this battle when Cosatu is not united?“
Turning to the report of the Farlam Commission on the Marikana massacre‚ Dlamini said: “Lonmin‚ like all other mining houses‚ will always prioritise maximising their profits at the expense of the workers.”
“It was purely and only about corporate greed.”
Dlamini said unions needed to protest peacefully. “Should we carry sticks and pangas and guns during out strikes? I don’t think so.”
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