Corruption perceptions worrying - Vavi

2012-09-18 12:17

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. (Werner Beukes, Sapa)

Johannesburg - Cosatu is concerned about members' perceptions of growing corruption among union leaders, its general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said on Tuesday.

"Worryingly, nearly 35% of members believed that there was some form of corruption or selling out of workers by leadership," he told the Congress of SA Trade Unions' (Cosatu) 11th national congress in Midrand, Johannesburg.

These members had not necessarily even seen corruption themselves, he said.

Vavi said just over 10% of members had actually witnessed or were directly aware of corruption in the unions.

"But that 10% is just 10% too big," he told around 3 000 delegates in Midrand.

Vavi called for the congress to confront these perceptions, which were established by a survey of union members commissioned by Cosatu.

He was presenting his political report on the second day of the four-day congress.

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