Ever since Cosatu was formed as the Federation of the workers in 1985 it won many battles for the working class and the poor.
Until 1994 when the Apartheid regime was brought to its knees, it (Cosatu) has been the spear and the shield of the poor.  When the democratic government took over, majority of the previously disadvantaged, saw light at the end of the tunnel.
We believed our country would be a rainbow nation in the true sense. However, the class of 1996 introduced neo-liberal policies – privatization is the order of the day.
Labour brokers, e- toll and finally the National Development Plan (NDP) were
introduced.  Tenders and corruption is rampant. The rich are becoming richer and the poor are getting worse off. Who is the voice of the voiceless in parliament?
Cosatu refused to give the ruling party a blank cheque.
Numsa and the left wing affiliates are fighting to keep Cosatu from bleeding. This battle between the left and the capitalist has seen Numsa labelled as the ‘White Elephant, workerists’ and all other sorts of names. Cosatu’s General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, was plotted against by those who do not see anything wrong with the current Cosatu.
He (Vavi) was suspended in a plot to oust him in from the federation. Numsa and its
nine affiliates… know the agenda of capitalists. Now, the federation is divided: Those who want Cosatu to remain mum and not raise issues affecting the poor and the working class…Only the special conference will solve these problems.
As socialists call on Cosatu’s president, S’dumo Dlamini – he is adamant that (the special congress) is not necessary. Will he ever call the special conference?
Numsa won’t stop until Cosatu is independent from the claws of the capitalist’s regime.
Joshua Lekula is a shopsteward at Sedibeng, Arcelor Mittal