SOUTH African trade unions held fire last night on a decision on whether to sack Cosatu federation general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

Despite announcing a media conference for 3pm local time to announce its decision, the special central executive committee (CEC) meeting had nothing to say, pursued its work late into the evening and will continue this morning.

Several Cosatu affiliates spoke out before yesterday’s meeting, making clear what they thought of Mr Vavi’s Sunday media conference.

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) said that “it was hard to accept” that the general secretary should convene a “public show” at the federation’s offices only to speak ill of it.

The union asked rhetorically why, “if Vavi is such a messiah, and holier than thou,” he was addressing meetings across the country alongside former SADTU president Thobile Ntola, who was found guilty of corruption.

The National Union of Mineworkers described Mr Vavi’s conduct as the “public posturing of a coward running away from taking responsibility for his acts.”

Picking up on Mr Vavi’s assertion that he is skipping CEC meetings as an act of defiance, the NUM said: “An act of defiance has moral virtue if it is led by someone with impeccable moral standing in society and, unfortunately, Vavi has lost that aura through office promiscuity.

South African Transport and Allied Workers Union general secretary Zenzo Mahlangu described Mr Vavi’s comments about defiance as “unfortunate.”

He noted that the general secretary’s responsibility was to build Cosatu and “clearly it does not build. This thing has been going for some time. It has to be sorted one way or the other today.”

African National Congress secretary-general Gwede Mantashe accused Mr Vavi of “undoing” the work of an ANC-led mediation team.

He said that it was dangerous for the Cosatu general secretary to call a press conference and divulge that the federation had no money.

But Mr Mantashe said that the resolution of the challenges facing the federation rested with Cosatu itself.

Asked if the CEC would be correct to expel him, the ANC leader said: “Expelling is the easiest bit. The complex part is, after that, what happens?”

by Our Foreign Desk