Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)

South Africa: Cosatu's Dilemma and Vavi's Road to Redemption

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COSATU general secretary,Zwelinzima Vavi addresses hundreds during a climate change march in Durban.

Zwelinzima Vavi is by no means out of the woods. The sudden withdrawal of the rape complaint against the Cosatu general secretary might release him from having to answer to the serious allegation of sexual assault, but he still has a long, treacherous road to navigate to clear his name and escape the political noose. Cosatu has yet to spell out the process it will embark on to deal with the admissions Vavi made, in which he implicated himself in misconduct. But the real showdown will be at the next central executive committee meeting, where Vavi's Cosatu destiny will be decided. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY and GREG NICOLSON.

In the course of last week, it became clear to Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi that his life was about to fall apart. Word of the official grievance of sexual harassment lodged against him by an employee at Cosatu was spreading rapidly in political circles and it was a matter of time before it was splashed in the media. His decision to follow the advice of his lawyers and lay a charge of extortion against the woman, based on a letter of demand for R2 million she has sent to him, meant that there was no turning back from the feud that had developed between them...

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InFocus

South African Union Boss Apologises

Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has apologised to his organisation and the country following recent allegations that he raped a colleague. The woman withdrew her complaint ... Read more »