Opinion & Analysis

With their apparent endorsement of corruption and their efforts to undermine the rule of law in the country, the leadership of Cosatu has formally given up its increasingly feeble claim to represent the interests of South Africa’s poor or its workers.

This week, the central committee of the labour federation called for President Thabo Mbeki to intervene and stop the corruption trial of former Deputy President Jacob Zuma. They also called for his reinstatement as the country’s deputy president.

There are hard questions that Zuma must answer in court. South Africa needs to know from Zuma whether he accepted a bribe from a French arms company and whether he used his tenure in public office to advance the interests of convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik.

Corruption is a cancer that threatens the building of a democracy that can meet the needs of all its people. It is well accepted that it is the poor and defenceless who pay the price of corruption. At least R1.5-billion of South Africa’s budget for social grants is lost to corruption every year. The failure of the state to provide housing, water, sanitation and other essential services to communities is, in some instances, due to corruption in local councils and other levels of government.

But, rather than take up the fight against corruption by demanding that alleged incidents involving Zuma be fully dealt with in court, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and his ilk are undermining efforts to establish clean government. All they are interested in is protecting their narrow political interests. Their rhetoric in defence of Zuma — who they believe represents their interests in government — tells every corrupt government official, traffic policeman or municipal councillor that it is acceptable to accept bribes.

Of late, the Cosatu leadership has repeatedly shown a lack of moral fibre. When supporters of the recent South African Municipal Workers-led strike allegedly killed a truck driver, attacked others and damaged property, they readily made excuses for the violence.

Rather than selling out the interests of workers and the poor for short-term political gain, Cosatu should be calling on Zuma to dismiss the charges by rebutting the evidence against him in public and in court.

Cosatu’s leadership is out of step with the sentiments of the majority of South Africans. Most South Africans respect the judicial process and want clean government. The National Prosecuting Authority — which has been at the receiving end of Cosatu’s bile — is going to need the support of all South Africans once it begins what we hope will be a comprehensive investigation into the Oilgate scandal.

It would be good to have a trade union movement committed to the principles of good governance — rather than political opportunism — in the ranks of those trying to build a country of which we can be proud.

With acknowledgement to the Sunday Times.