SAFTU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says the trade union federation does not support the Socialist Revolutionary Workers’ Party (SRWP) because the federation has not had a chance to discuss the issue yet.

The SRWP was founded by Irvin Jim, leader of SAFTU affiliate NUMSA.

Vavi says he was surprised at a Workers’ Day march in Durban when a SRWP representative spoke after him saying that the party enjoys NUMSA’s blessing.

Vavi has told SABC News that what happened at the Durban rally will be taken up with SAFTU’s leadership in KwaZulu-Natal.

He says: “When that happens a message gets sent that a platform of SAFTU can be used to campaign for a particular political party against the standing policies of the federation.”

“So we will have to have a discussion about that matter with the leadership of the province. Having said that it doesn’t also mean that SAFTU therefore suddenly support the SRWP without a discussion internally.”