Cosatu calls for Zuma to step down
South Africa’s largest worker federation and ANC alliance partner Cosatu has called for president Jacob Zuma to resign, as he is no longer fit to unite and lead the nation.
The union’s leaders met on Monday to discuss issues facing South Africa in the wake of president Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle last week, and added the topic of Zuma’s fitness to hold office to the agenda at the 11th hour.
Cosatu’s CEC said that the resultant view from discussions was that Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle was not based on the merits of those who were removed, added or shuffled around, but rather on political loyalty.
The union said it will demand from the ANC to explain why it was no consulted on the reshuffle, which has been a long-standing tradition within the party.
It also noted that Zuma failed to meaningfully consult with any of the ANC’s top leaders or with its other alliance member, the SACP. The group said it no longer believes in Zuma’s leadership abilities and calls for him to resign.
Cosatu’s voice has now been added to the ANC’s other alliance member, the SACP, in calling for president Zuma to go.
The SACP said last week, following the reshuffle, that the president was reckless in reshuffling his cabinet, and ignored all the warning from the party and from within the ANC that his actions would have far-reaching consequences.
The party said that was not acting in the interests of South Africa or the ANC, but was serving other agendas – specifically that of the Gupta family, who has been accused of capturing the state.
“This is not a struggle against an individual. This is not a factional struggle. It is a struggle against a network of parasitism and patronage in defence of our hard-won democratic sovereignty,” the SACP said.
“Let us roll back corporate capture of the state! Let us call for the South African passports and residential rights of the Guptas to be revoked immediately!”
It was also revealed this week that the ANC’s own internal integrity commission has asked Zuma to step down. The president refused, however.
Opposition parties have organised a march against Zuma, and have called on all citizens and businesses to take part. However, some, such as the IFP, have warned that this will be read as a provocation by the ANC, and may be met with violence.
Cosatu said that the march is an act of provocation, and warned its members to steer clear. It said that it remains committed to the tripartite alliance with the ANC “in which all parties are seen as equals”, and will not join with the DA to serve its political agenda.
Read: The ANC’s integrity commission asked Zuma to resign – he said no: report
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