11 June 2010, 08:36
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By Carien Du Plessis
Political Bureau
Labour leader Zwelinzima Vavi has not apologised to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda, who demanded that he do so by Thursday afternoon or face being sued for alleged defamation.
Vavi said a letter from Nyanda's lawyers, dated June 3 and demanding that the Cosatu general secretary apologise before the close of business on Thursday, had been faxed to the labour federation's offices only on Thursday morning.
He was in a "football mood and this is not an issue that will disturb me, but it is an act of intimidation", Vavi said.
"We are not spending sleepless nights," he added.
He would not offer an apology, he said, as he had "committed no crime" in calling for an investigation into allegations of corruption against Nyanda and of fraud against Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo Shiceka.
Vavi refused to speculate on whether the attempt by the ANC national working committee to haul him before a party disciplinary committee - which the party's leadership is understood to want to let slip - would be discussed when tripartite alliance leaders and Sanco met on Monday for the second round of the political council meeting.
The issue was not discussed when the council met on Tuesday, but ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and other sources have indicated that it could be on the agenda when the meeting resumes.
Sanco's general-secretary, Ali Maziya, said the matter had not been discussed on Tuesday as "there are no charges" against Vavi.
Cosatu has disclosed that members of the ANC's national working committee have decided to charge Vavi with "ill discipline" for having complained publicly that President Jacob Zuma and his cabinet have been slow to act on corruption allegations.
The committee's decision has led to a barrage of protest from the labour federation and its affiliates, with Cosatu warning that taking such a step against Vavi could lead to the end of its alliance with the ANC and the SACP.
The SACP has also condemned the move.
The ANC has failed to issue an official comment.
Cosatu said last week that Vavi had received an unsigned letter threatening him with death - the second such threat made against the labour federation this year.
The letter told Vavi he faced the same fate as the late deputy health minister Molefi Sefularo, who died in a car accident two months ago. Sefularo's accident had not been regarded as suspicious.
Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said the death threat letter had been handed over to police for investigation, but no progress had been reported.
In March, Cosatu received a letter warning the labour federation it would get "bullets", prompting Vavi to issue a warning against a return to the dirty politics of the "dark days" of the alliance's internal leadership battles in 2007.
Cosatu's support helped Zuma ascend to power, but relations in the alliance have become strained over policy issues, the deployment of ministers, and internal struggles as ANC members position themselves for the party's national elective conference in 2012.
This article was originally published on page 2 of The Pretoria News on June 11, 2010
The Star
Comments by Sonny
Stick to your guns, Zwelinzima Vavi, if Zuma can flaunt the law, then you can too!
Don't let the ANC turn SA into "Animal Farm!"
Let them our our money where their mouths are!!!
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