ZWELINZIMA Vavi has been re-elected as General Secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) at the second national congress despite efforts by NUMSA to unseat him.
Vavi’s slate got four out of the six top leadership positions.
Ruth Ntlokotse was elected President while Moredi Mosina was elected as the second President.
Vavi will now be deputised by Nontembeko Luzipho, who was elected Deputy General Secretary.
Two of the four national officer bearers who NUMSA’s general secretary Irvin Jim fought for since the start of the congress have returned to the top six after election results were announced in the early hours of Thursday.
They include Thabo Matsose, who was elected as the First President, and Motshwari Lecogo, who is now SAFTU’s National Treasurer.
At the start of the congress, Vavi’s faction insisted that the four suspended national office bearers did not qualify to stand for renewed terms.
The four, who included former Saftu president Mac Chavalala, were suspended in March for attempting to suspend Vavi.
However, Jim told the congress that should their candidates be barred from contesting, NUMSA would be left with no choice but to go to court to challenge the conference outcome.
The four suspended national office bearers were eventually allowed to contest elections on Wednesday after a five-hour stalemate at the heated congress where NUMSA threatened to leave the gathering if the four were not allowed to stand.
INSIDE POLITICS
