Former Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says the notion that it is cold outside the African National Congress (ANC) is misplaced.
“It was‚ in fact‚ cold within the ANC‚” he said while addressing the Dispatch Dialogues at the Guild Theatre‚ East London‚ on Monday evening.
“Outside the ANC‚ it’s very warm because I can speak so freely‚” he said.
He also took a swipe at the current South African Communist Party leadership‚ saying the party died with Chris Hani in 1993.
“Anyone who thinks we have a communist party in South Africa is living in dreamland. What went wrong with the SACP? Patronage is what went wrong with the SACP‚” Vavi said.
The years between 2012 and 2016 will go down in the history of the federation movement as the most tragic‚ he said.
“The tragedy happened when Cosatu was preparing for their 30th anniversary. The wheels fell off within the trade union in 2010.”
Vavi said the enemy of the unions and the ANC is something called social distance.
“The leadership of unions does not know what it’s like to wait eight hours in a hospital queue. They have medical aids.”
He said things took a turn for the worst in 2012 after the Marikana massacre. Cosatu was a brilliant organisation but could not unite workers‚ he said.
The dialogues were hosted by Dispatch editor Sibusiso Ngalwa.
Earlier on Monday‚ reports TMG Digital‚ Vavi released the text of his Mbuyiselo Ngwenda memorial lecture‚ in which he said “Hani would not recognise the current SACP involved in a race to the bottom with other ANC opportunists over who will become councillors — not to serve but to head the queue for eating rights”.
He said former National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa general secretary Ngwenda‚ “Hani…and countless other martyrs of the communist struggle should be turning on their graves to note that the SACP played such a divisive role leading to the implosion of the only weapon in the hands of workers in the workplace”.
His comments come less than a week after Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus was released on parole‚ to the disgust of his widow‚ Limpho described it as ‘’a sad day for South Africa’’.
– TMG Digital/Daily Dispatch
Vavi: SACP died with Chris Hani in 1993
Former Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says the notion that it is cold outside the African National Congress (ANC) is misplaced.
“It was‚ in fact‚ cold within the ANC‚” he said while addressing the Dispatch Dialogues at the Guild Theatre‚ East London‚ on Monday evening.
“Outside the ANC‚ it’s very warm because I can speak so freely‚” he said.
He also took a swipe at the current South African Communist Party leadership‚ saying the party died with Chris Hani in 1993.
“Anyone who thinks we have a communist party in South Africa is living in dreamland. What went wrong with the SACP? Patronage is what went wrong with the SACP‚” Vavi said.
The years between 2012 and 2016 will go down in the history of the federation movement as the most tragic‚ he said.
“The tragedy happened when Cosatu was preparing for their 30th anniversary. The wheels fell off within the trade union in 2010.”
Vavi said the enemy of the unions and the ANC is something called social distance.
“The leadership of unions does not know what it’s like to wait eight hours in a hospital queue. They have medical aids.”
He said things took a turn for the worst in 2012 after the Marikana massacre. Cosatu was a brilliant organisation but could not unite workers‚ he said.
The dialogues were hosted by Dispatch editor Sibusiso Ngalwa.
Earlier on Monday‚ reports TMG Digital‚ Vavi released the text of his Mbuyiselo Ngwenda memorial lecture‚ in which he said “Hani would not recognise the current SACP involved in a race to the bottom with other ANC opportunists over who will become councillors — not to serve but to head the queue for eating rights”.
He said former National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa general secretary Ngwenda‚ “Hani…and countless other martyrs of the communist struggle should be turning on their graves to note that the SACP played such a divisive role leading to the implosion of the only weapon in the hands of workers in the workplace”.
His comments come less than a week after Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus was released on parole‚ to the disgust of his widow‚ Limpho described it as ‘’a sad day for South Africa’’.
– TMG Digital/Daily Dispatch
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