General secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), Zwelinzima Vavi is allegedly caught up in a new sex scandal involving an employee which resulted in him getting a warning.
According to the Sowetan a cleaner who worked for the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) filed a sexual harassment complaint against Vavi last year September after his alleged conduct caused her stress. The complaint then led to an informal inquiry against Vavi.
In the inquiry Vavi was slapped with a caution and he had to apologise to the complainant.
A source who preferred to be anonymous detailed the sexual harassment the cleaner endured at Vavi’s hands.
The source says the cleaner started working for NUMSA eight years ago, where she says that Vavi would arrive at the office early in the morning and allegedly ask her to massage his legs and feet.
On one Tuesday, Vavi called the cleaner and asked her to make tea for him. It is alleged the trade union leader then got up from his chair and asked to kiss her of which the cleaner denied and told him that she did not like what he was doing.
On a Friday of the same week after she gave him his tea and asked to leave work early as her granddaughter was in hospital, it is alleged that he told her to lie down so that he could massage her. Vavi is then alleged to have touched her neck and back and told her she was stressed.
When the inquiry took place last year September, Vavi said he was shocked when given an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Vavi allegedly denied the allegations and said the cleaner came to his office and told him she had a headache and wanted to go home. Vavi then told her to sleep for a while and then she could leave later.
Vavi then told the officials at the meeting that he was sorry if the cleaner felt that he made her uncomfortable and unhappy.
“THOUGH THE CLEANER WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH VAVI’S BEHAVIOUR, SHE WAS SCARED TO TELL HIM ABOUT HER FEELING” SAID THE ANONYMOUS SOURCE.
According to the source, Vavi went on to apologise to the cleaner and said he never intended to do her any harm and that he was trying to help her.
The cleaner accepted Vavi’s apology.
The SAFTU general secretary is not new to sex scandals. In 2013 when he was the general secretary of COSATU, he admitted to having unprotected sex with a married junior employee who accused him of rape. The charges were later withdrawn.
Vavi allegedly gave the union officials an assurance that he would be more careful on how he interacts with female employees in future.