COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi’s political woes worsened yesterday in the face of yet more veiled attacks from the labour federation’s alliance partner, the SA Communist Party.

The leaders of the two organisations have not always enjoyed cordial relations and this weekend’s SACP central committee meeting provided ample opportunity for the party to attack Vavi’s leadership of Cosatu.

Vavi has come under fire recently following a week in which reports surfaced that he was being investigated by his own organisation over allegations of questionable financial dealings, which have loosened an already shaky grip over the leadership of the federation.

In a statement following this weekend’s meeting, the SACP central committee noted: “We respect and salute the independence of the federation, and strongly affirm the necessity of a militant trade union movement that refuses to become a simple transmission belt for government, or for any political party, including the SACP.

“However, the SACP has raised with Cosatu our concern that, on occasion, a blanket oppositionism (sic), or an exaggerated focus on secondary challenges has weakened, rather than strengthened Cosatu’s ability to impact upon defining and driving a second, more radical phase of our nationademocratic revolution.”

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