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Cosatu speaks out on alleged links with US sponsor
SABC News
February 06, 2005

http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,97325,00.html

Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu's secretary general, says they are indeed part of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), but that it has nothing to do with the United States. Vavi was responding to an article in Zimbabwe's state-run Sunday Mail.

The article claims Cosatu was sponsored by a US-linked international trade union to go to Zimbabwe for two fact-finding missions - both turned back by the Harare government. Vavi points out that the ICFTU, which has 150 million members, is in fact Belgian-based. He also says that Cosatu paid for the missions' expenses.

Vavi yesterday said the union federation was to consider further protest action to encourage proper democratic processes in Zimbabwe. He said Cosatu’s Central Executive Committee would meet on February 14 to discuss the proposals for further protest action that was made during the meeting with Zimbabwe trade unionists in Limpopo on Thursday. Vavi also said the union federation did not want to topple the Zanu(PF) government - but was merely trying to assist in creating a democratic environment in Zimbabwe ahead of the March 31 parliamentary poll.

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