City Press reports that Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini will hang up his fighting gloves after 10 years in the ring, paving the way for the possible election for the first time of a woman as his successor.
The labour federation’s congress is in September and already Dlamini’s own union, the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), has told him it would not support him should he want his position back. The Swaziland-born former nurse’s fate was sealed last week when the Nehawu national executive committee met. He was summoned and informed of the decision, which he accepted. Nehawu apparently plans to back Dlamini’s deputy, Zingiswa Losi, as a successor, in a campaign said to be gaining momentum. Under Dlamini’s tenure, Cosatu suffered its first split in decades with the expulsion of its biggest industrial union, the National Union of Metalworker’s of SA (Numsa) in 2015, which put Cosatu in a financial crunch. This was followed by the expulsion of its then powerful general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. Dlamini counts Vavi’s axing and that of Numsa, followed by the disaffiliation of the Food and Allied Workers Union, at the top of the decisions he regrets. Dlamini is a member of the NEC of the ANC and central committee leader in the SACP.
- Read this report by Hlengiwe Nhlabathi in full at City Press
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