Overview
- Cosatu delegates at the reconvened national congress confirmed Mike Shingange as president with 973 votes to Mabutho Cele’s 836 and installed a new team for the next four years.
- Outgoing president Zingiswa Losi won the secretary-general race with 996 votes to Solly Phetoe’s 809, and other top posts were decided by close tallies or uncontested outcomes.
- Nehawu placed Shingange on a precautionary suspension after an internal probe and refused to disclose details, and Shingange has filed an application to halt his disciplinary hearing.
- The congress initially collapsed at the Gallagher Convention Centre when unions that nominated Shingange protested his eligibility and the gathering failed to meet quorum, forcing a reconvened vote.
- The unresolved suspension and legal action raise questions about Cosatu’s internal cohesion and decision making, and attention now turns to Nehawu’s next steps and any court or disciplinary rulings.