Satawu president is voted out, then collapses

In a dramatic turn of events within the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), its president collapsed and was admitted to hospital after being voted out at a weekend central executive committee (CEC) meeting. Business Day reports that June Dube is among leaders opposing the way the union is being run by its general secretary, Zenzo Mahlangu, and his deputy, Nicholus Maziya. Mahlangu and Maziya are accused of abuse of power, mishandling union funds and corruption, charges they have denied. The report says Satawu was behind Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's probe into allegations of corruption and abuse of power and resources at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA. But this was vehemently opposed by the Mahlangu faction. Satawu's mother body, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), and its ally, the South African Communist Party (SACP), had to be called in to mediate, the sources said, according to the report. But their intervention did not yield much as Satawu went on to suspend Dube – despite a Cosatu-led 'cease-fire' that was in place before the meeting.