Cosatu 'can come back stronger'

HIS critics have labelled him the nurse at whose hands Cosatu died, but the labour federation's president S'dumo Dlamini says the expulsion of South Africa's biggest union, Numsa, under his watch does not define his political career.

In fact, Dlamini said, with Numsa gone, Cosatu could still be a stronger, focused representative of workers.

Cosatu continued its downhill slide yesterday, with seven unions suspending their participation in the federation in solidarity with Numsa.

They also stepped up calls for a special congress to decide the fate of Cosatu.

According to Dlamini, Cosatu will decide this week whether to hold a special congress. Numsa was voted out of the federation at the weekend, a move which analysts said marked the end of an era in South Africa's political landscape.

Meanwhile, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe – who was accused by Numsa of being part of the gang that orchestrated the expulsion – said the party had done all it could to help Cosatu and was willing to further engage with its warring factions.

In an interview yesterday, Dlamini – whom Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim described as the kingpin of a plot to oust the union – hit back, saying Numsa had expelled itself by going against Cosatu's founding principles.

"S'dumo being insulted as the president and people swearing at me does not define me and my identity," he said.

"I am not having sleepless nights because of that. I love and respect that noble nursing profession.

"I am a human being too but what hurts the most is how this sits with my family.

"Some of my children are very young and they see their dad sometimes being physically attacked, but I have counselled them.

"I have not been acting as a nurse but as a leader working with the collective. My only sin was to communicate decisions taken by the CEC [central executive committee].

"It cannot be that S'dumo Dlamini can be responsible for all the things happening in the federation - Mkhululi Ndamase