Barely a week goes by without a newspaper boldly reporting about a closed meeting of COSATU or its alliance partners relying on anonymous sources. And barely a week goes by without those anonymous sources getting their facts completely wrong. Content never to allow the search for the truth to stand in the way of a good story newspapers continue relying on these dubious anonymous sources for information and get embarrassed all the time but never learn.

Over the years COSATU has proven to be an important voice of the voiceless and an institution with unparalleled credentials in the fight against corruption. We are therefore not surprised by the rumours carried by our newspapers dressed up as facts alleging that COSATU has and will institute an investigation into alleged financial impropriety by the General Secretary of COSATU with the hope of denting COSATU’s credibility on the anti-corruption front.

We view this incident of disinformation as part of an orchestrated plan not only to attack but to weaken the Federation which has already resulted in waves and waves of attacks aimed at destabilizing COSATU affiliated unions such as NUM, SATAWU etc. To be fair, for a fighting federation such as ours which has proven a thorn to the capitalist classes these attacks are expected and we have seen them in the past and we are most likely to see more of them in the future.

For our part, we would like to confirm that there is no such investigation and that as the province we have full confidence in all COSATU office bearers under the leadership of the President and the General Secretary to advance the struggle for the total emancipation of the working class and poor in South Africa in conjunction with other revolutionary movements.

We support the process of engagement and discussions between and amongst the Presidents and General Secretaries of affiliates and the Federation which will be facilitated by specialists around political and organizational matters aimed at solidifying the already existing unity and cohesion within the Federation. Our Federation is united and stronger than ever before which is why it can undertake such processes. The unity within COSATU and the alliance is sacrosanct and of paramount importance to the struggle for the advancement of the working class majority in our society.

Our organization must never let the anonymous sources achieve their aims of derailing the Federation from its primary task of advancing the struggle to liberate the poor from the yoke of poverty, unemployment and inequality that besets our society. We must never chase newspaper fabrications and be disturbed from our struggle to achieve the aims of the National Democratic Revolution because if we do that the anonymous sources would have achieved their devious aims.

CONTACT: Zet Luzipo (COSATU KZN Provincial Secretary)

CELL: 079 514 8887/072 884 3456