The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has adjourned its 15th National Congress, which was cut short due to a dispute over leadership and quorum. The event, which was scheduled to take place from Monday to Thursday at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, was attended by over 1,800 delegates representing 16 affiliates. Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi addressed the delegates before the adjournment.
According to Cosatu's parliamentary coordinator, Matthew Parks, the federation had no choice but to adjourn the congress as pushing through could have weakened it and risked splitting it in half. Parks stated that the headlines surrounding the adjournment are embarrassing but that the damage could have been far greater if the congress had continued. He added that it took humility from all involved to decide to adjourn and reconvene at a later date.
The dispute over quorum and leadership centered around several issues, including the eligibility of Cosatu's deputy president, Mike Shingange, for nomination and election as president. Shingange had been suspended by his affiliate a few days before the gathering and had been nominated by some affiliates for the position of Cosatu president. Additionally, there were questions around the number of delegates allocated to the retail affiliate, the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union.
Cosatu's constitution states that if a quorum is not present after three hours of the fixed time for the meeting, the meeting must stand adjourned to be held within one month. Parks confirmed that the federation's national office bearers informed affiliates on Thursday of the next congress date, October 12-15. This means Cosatu will have to raise funds for the second take, with an estimated R32 million already spent on the collapsed gathering.
The adjournment comes as Cosatu is still recovering from the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA and its former general-secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi. Parks stated that the leadership of Cosatu and affiliates have a responsibility to ensure that the congress leaves the federation stronger and united. He added that it is essential to adjourn the gathering to allow affiliates and Cosatu leadership to address substantial procedural issues.
Cosatu's Central Executive Committee is expected to hold several meetings to resolve the issues that led to the adjournment. The federation is also expected to decide on its position regarding the SACP contesting the November polls separately from the ANC. Parks insisted that the leadership had to preserve the unity of the federation, which is a greater objective than rushing through an event and leaving the federation weaker as a consequence.
The rescheduled congress will provide a platform for workers to tackle socio-economic issues such as the price of electricity, addressing unemployment, kickstarting the economy, and tackling the cost of living. The event will also involve the election of office bearers. Cosatu depends on workers' subscriptions for its operations, and raising additional funds for the rescheduled congress will be a difficult task, especially with an election within a period of two months.
Key points
- Cosatu has rescheduled its 15th National Congress for October 12-15 after it was adjourned due to a dispute over leadership and quorum.
- The adjournment comes as Cosatu is still recovering from the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA and its former general-secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi.
- The federation spent around R32 million on the collapsed gathering and will have to raise additional funds for the rescheduled event.
