COSATU in South Africa to reconvene congress within 30 days
South Africa’s COSATU trade union federation plans to reconvene its congress within 30 days after it was postponed because it was impossible to confirm a quorum. Federation president Zingiswa Losi said the meeting would be held even in a tent or another more affordable venue in order to comply with COSATU’s constitutional requirements.
As TimesLIVE reports, the congress was to be held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. However, it did not begin after two days, and 1,820 delegates were sent home. According to Losi, some unions did not provide documents confirming the credentials of their delegates, so the federation was unable to establish whether a quorum was present.
Dispute over vice president
One of the issues that intensified disagreements within the leadership was the status of COSATU first vice president Mike Shingange. The Nehawu union suspended him several days before the congress. Shingange challenged the dispute over his right to participate in the congress in the Labour Court and secured a ruling in his favor.
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Shingange said he had not been expelled from Nehawu and that, in his view, the union supports his candidacy for the position of COSATU first vice president. A federation representative confirmed that before the congress began, Nehawu had notified COSATU in writing about the suspension of its member who holds a national leadership position in the federation.
Search for a more affordable venue
Losi noted that holding the congress again could cost less because some of the necessary materials, including T-shirts and banners, have already been purchased. The unions themselves will cover the costs of bringing their representatives. According to the publication, the cost of the congress is estimated at about 12 million rand.
The COSATU president also said she had no evidence linking the disruption of the congress to disputes over support for the African National Congress or the South African Communist Party in the upcoming local elections. According to her, political discussions at the forum had not yet begun.
