Stretch tent or hospital hall, Cosatu congress will reconvene: Zingiswa Losi

Come hell or high water, the abandoned Cosatu congress will proceed within 30 days as per the provision by the constitution of the trade union federation.

Despite the R12-million from Cosatu coffers that has gone down the drain on food and venue alone from the adjourned congress this week and the millions more from affiliates, outgoing Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi says they are looking at cutting costs when they reconvene.

The affiliates making up the approximately 2 000 delegates to the collapsed conference covered the transportation costs and accommodation are yet to round their figures which are estimated at more than R30-million.

But the question of the conference sitting before October 15 as per the Cosatu constitution when a conference is abandoned halfway is non-negotiable.

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Losi said this might force the leadership to look into cheap ways of making it a point that the constitutional provision is met.

If it means asking favours from churches to avail their tents or ask to use hospital halls for the conference to go ahead, that will be done.

If Cosatu must hire or buy stretch tents or marquees large enough to accommodate its almost 2 000 delegates, that too is an option but conference will reconvene.

‘The venue is all we need’

Losi said this during a tense press briefing following the decision to adjourn the toxic gathering following breaching the three-hour-mark without adopting credentials and establishing quorum.

“The constitution of this federation directs the national office bearers, the president in particular, to reconvene an adjourned congress within a month and says the delegates at that reconvened congress form a quorum,” said Losi.

“We will have our own meeting as NOBs (national office bearers) and staff to see how do we comply with the constitution because we have to comply, because if we do not, we would be acting outside of the constitution after acting within the constitution by adjourning the congress.

“We, therefore, have to look at the cost implications and see where do we downsize because it is no longer about flowers; we do have the T-shirts and we are wearing them,” she continued.

“Our congress is paperless; we have the other things, which means there are costs we are not going to reincur. The only thing we have to deal with is the venue.

“Perhaps it will be a stretch tent, perhaps it will be a hospital hall. Whatever that can take the number of delegates. Maybe we will go to churches and borrow tents but that is all we have to think about – the venue.”

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Leadership tensions remain unresolved

On the political hot potato that collapsed this week’s gathering, the Cosatu top brass was walking on egg shells.

The bone of contention himself, outgoing Cosatu deputy president Mike Shingange, whose suspension by his affiliate union Nehawu fueled the divisions, said his suspension was a personal matter that has nothing to do with Cosatu.

The details of the charges he is facing remain sketchy and the man has elected to play his cards very close to his chest.

“This thing of my suspension is a personal matter that we do not need to drag the NOBs of Cosatu into this thing unless you want to have a Mike Shingange press conference,” said Shingange.

“And there is another party involved, which is my union (Nehawu), which I belong to, which I respect, which I endevoured all the time since this thing happened not to contravene even the conditions of suspension; that is why you (media) have not found anything from me because I respect the rules and I’m deeply rooted.”

Lobbying battle ahead of reconvened congress

It is not clear if the unions that are backing Shingange for the top position of president of Cosatu will come back at the reconvened conference still resolute.

A lot of lobbying is expected to unfold in the coming weeks, which might sway the numbers either way.

The only person who appears guaranteed of victory is Losi, who has been nominated to stand for the powerful general secretary post, with some unions that are backing Shingange also in agreement on Losi.

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