The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) in the province has added its voice to calls for the embattled Cosatu general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi to be reinstated.

Provincial secretary Duma Lebakeng told reporters at Samwu offices in Kimberley yesterday “it was clear that Vavi was a victim of a political conspiracy”.

His comments came after Vavi was suspended by the leadership of Cosatu last month. This after Vavi admitted he had sex with a junior worker at Cosatu House in Johannesburg in January.

They were both suspended by the central executive committee (CEC), which Lebakeng said was unconstitutional.

“The CEC does not have the right to suspend even a junior employee because all staff members in the federation don’t report to the committee. His political detractors waited for August, which is Women’s Month, to expose him on something which happened in January,” Lebakeng said.

Asked if they had faith in the leadership of Cosatu president, Sdumo Dlamini, he said: “We have no problem with the president, but we have faith in the collective of him and the general secretary.

“We call on Cosatu to bring comrade Vavi back. If not, we call for a special national congress next month.”

He lambasted the NDP’s economic development chapter, calling it another privatisation of state resources.

“We don’t have a problem with the entirety of the NDP, but we want the redrafting of the core economic development chapter which seeks to reduce the role of the state and increase the use of the public, private partnership,” Lebakeng said.