Vavi confuses democracy with dictatorial statements of control behind President Zuma.

Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu Secretary General, has stated that President Zuma will serve two terms as President of South Africa regardless. He claims that Cosatu has met with President Zuma to clarify the President’s statement that he would only serve one term.

‘”We have engaged with him on that issue and it’s no longer on the table. He’s no longer going to be a one-term president. (Zuma) will run the full course of the journey. Two terms, and no discussions about it – and we are very happy,” Vavi said.’

Even before 100 days of a Zuma presidency are passed these are sweeping statements made regarding the future of the presidency and they come from the left wing who are attempting to bring the hammer down on their alleged control of the ANC. It raises all kinds of dreaded fears and nightmares about dictators and presidents for life across the African continent and to any outsider must resemble something from the Stalinist era of fascist dictators.

Vavi goes on to say that people complaining about Zuma being a stooge of Luthuli house should understand and accept that that is how it should be. Luthuli house runs the country and not the government. This also conjures up images of the politburo back in the dark ages of Soviet-style communism. The politburo ran the Soviet government and could recall and deploy at will.

The point about control by the back office is that it happens all over the world, even George W. Bush was forced to toe the line of the oil barons and other industrial giants that won huge paybacks in post invasion Iraq. The only difference is that Vavi has sen fit to remind all and sundry that he is the power that matters.

Besides the blatant disregard for South African democracy and the South African tribe that voted in recent elections, Thabo Mbeki was ousted at Polokwane for exactly these kinds of dictatorial staements and policies. Although his dictatorship was located in government at the Union buildings it is all too familiar and bears uncanny similarities to this domination from Luthuli house.

Furthermore, Cosatu is in an alliance with the ANC and South African Communist Party and it is not the dominant member in this alliance, or are we as the electorate missing something crucial here. Maybe this is a miscalculated statement betraying the person who is the kingmaker or just a calculated shot to preempt any challenge to Zuma at the next party congress in 2012.

Vavi goes on to say that there are ambitious people out there but that the debate is now effectively over thereby positioning himself as the power behind the throne.

The most disturbing part of the article is as follows, ” Vavi said the alliance would determine policy.
“We are the policymakers in the alliance, and the government implements. The government does not lead anymore.”

There are all kinds of warning bells and alarms going off here. That Vavi as leader of a minor partner in the tripartite alliance feels free to dictate and make absolute sweeping statements like these is cause for concern in ANC circles never mind the South African tribe who have just voted in a democracy.

Together with this statement of power behind the scenes, Vavi has expressed doubts over the Zuma government and its ability to deliver on 500 000 jobs by end 2009 and 4 million by 2014. He went further to state that more strikes and industrial action are imminent and these would include essential services, normally prevented from participating in strike action.

These statements taken together display a desire for total control. Not only as the kingmaker behind the ascent to the throne of President Zuma, but the force behind workers strikes and demands and also casting doubt and suggesting the cabinet are not capable of doing their job. In effect he is also positioning himself as the monitor in chief of the government despite the fact that there are people in positions to do just that.

There were many conspiracy theories behind the appointment of communists to the cabinet but it seems the greater danger to South African democracy might come from outside, might just eminate from a man who states emphatically that Zuma will reign for a decade and then proceeds to question the cabinet policy and talk of a “ticking time bomb of rolling mass action.

Is President Zuma in power regardless of whether the jobs target is reached or not and if Zuma is recalled who will Vavi put in his place. Vavi has raised the stakes in the ongoing battle for democracy and answers to these questions are needed asap.

In the space of a week he has threatened the democratic election process of the ANC president, the working of the cabinet and has spoken of “his” workers bringing the government and country to its knees. Crazy miscalculations or simply staking his claim in the scramble for control of South Africa.

Watch this space.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=79&art_id=vn20090605060908453C502610&newslett=1&em=202990a1a20090605ah

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=79&art_id=vn20090605110713168C462333&newslett=1&em=202990a6a20090605ah