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What happened to Vavi's COSATU mistress? SNN, The New Age, Johannesburg, 2 April 2015 The "third party" in the Zwelinzima Vavi/COSATU saga, Jacqueline Phooko, remained aloof and incommunicado this week as the drama surrounding her former boss continued. Phooko, who accused COSATU's axed general secretary Vavi of rape, did not respond to calls on her known phone numbers or they were answered by persons who claimed they did not know her. Among the many charges levelled against Vavi by COSATU is for flouting internal procedures when employing Phooko, having sex with her in the office, changing her employment contract from temporary to permanent and failing to supervise her properly. The Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) confirmed that a matter relating to unfair dismissal between Phooko and COSATU, had been settled. She had earlier sent Vavi a letter seeking compensation which he said was an attempt at blackmail. Phooko, however, is still persisting with a defamation action against Vavi, COSATU and National Union of Metal Workers (NUMSA) and is seeking is R4.1-million in costs. In court papers filed at the Johannesburg high court last year, Phooko said statements about her attributed to Vavi, COSATU and the National Union of Metal Workers (NUMSA) besmirched her name. Vavi, who was fired by the federation this week, had earlier admitted that he had sex with Phooko in her office at COSATU headquarters in Johannesburg in January last year, but that it was consensual. Phooko is demanding R600 000 from Vavi for saying that her sexual harassment case was a ploy to extort money from him and for saying he did not know what he was doing with that "nopatazana" (woman with loose morals) while addressing a rally in his home township of Sada, near Whittlesea in the Eastern Cape, in September last year. Phooko is demanding R3-million from COSATU for reputational damages after it carried Vavi's statement on its website. She is suing NUMSA for R500 000 for a statement by its regional secretary in KwaZulu-Natal, Mbuso Ngubane, claiming the union was aware that certain powerful leaders in and outside COSATU coerced Phooko to falsify the rape claim in order to destroy Vavi's political career. Phooko argues that the statements against her were intended to paint her as a liar, an adulterer, a criminal, a dishonest employee, a manipulative wife, a political mole and a person without moral standing. "The publication of the press statement [by Vavi on COSATU's website] was made with the intention to injure the plaintiff's reputation," her lawyer said. "The second defendant [COSATU] has more than two million members and approximately 21 affiliate unions who use its website as a source of information. "The purpose or implied purpose of publishing press statements on the website is to enable members of the press to get information about the second defendant's official stance on certain issues. The statement was published as headline news by different newspapers [both print and online], different television news channels and radio stations." Phooko said her reputation suffered and estimated the damage at R1-million. "As a result of the defamation the plaintiff has been rendered unemployable. Alternatively, her future employment prospects have been severely minimised and the plaintiff will suffer loss of earnings in the amount of R2 000 000," her lawyers said. In a statement last year, Vavi dismissed the rape allegations by Phooko and accused her of being party to an agenda to remove him from his powerful position in COSATU. "The truth is that, on that day, we kissed just as on other occasions. She [Phooko] does not reveal that the last time we kissed was the last time I saw her in my office, on June 2013. All our encounters were encounters between two consenting adults who clearly had feelings for one another. "We had intimately kissed in my office on each of those occasions. Round about midday in her office, I also kissed her and that kissing eventually led to us making love. Brief intercourse took place whilst we were standing. "The impression I gained is that she manipulated her husband into believing that she was a victim of rape and that because of my profile and standing I would be so scared of this matter being reported or publicised that I would pay an amount to beat the alleged offer of R1-million referred to in the text message dated 11 June 2013," said Vavi. -SNN From: http://www.thenewage.co.za/155527-1007-53-What_happened_to_Vavis_Cosatu_mist ress -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. 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