Johannesburg – Cosatu should not have released the name of the woman who accused General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi of rape, the Sonke Gender Justice Network (SGJN) said on Tuesday.

“We urge the union to redact her name from the organisation’s website,” the SGJN said in a statement.

“[Although] the name of [the] Cosatu employee alleging rape is already in the public domain, we think this important symbolic gesture would demonstrate the union’s commitment to fighting gender-based violence.”

The SGJN said it was also concerning that some media outlets had identified the woman, despite the fact that it was not permissible in terms of the SA National Editors’ Forum’s (Sanef) media ethics code.

“We are also mindful that the issues reported in the media cannot provide the basis for any conclusions about the guilt or innocence of any party,” it said.

“As an organisation committed to gender justice, we call for the speedy and fair resolution of this matter, and an appropriate handling of the case by Cosatu, the media, and the police.”

Vavi admitted having an extramarital affair with a married woman who worked for the Cosatu.

He claimed she later tried to extort R2m from him. He denied raping her, and said the sex was consensual.

However, she brought a complaint of sexual harassment against him. The complaint was withdrawn during the internal grievance proceeding that started on Monday morning.

– SAPA