The Sunday Independent reports that Cosatu’s three powerful public-sector unions have forced the labour federation to resolve that President Jacob Zuma should step down.
The newspaper has reliably established that the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) pushed, amid fears, arguments that Zuma must step down.
On Monday last week, Cosatu joined its left-wing ally, the SA Communists party (SACP), in calls for Zuma to stand down. This was after a meeting of its highest decision-making body, the central executive committee (CEC) in Johannesburg. The three unions were also at the centre of masterminding Cosatu’s decision on endorsing Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma when the ANC holds its elective conference in December.
The Sunday Independent understands that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) were among the industrial unions that opposed the move.
Satawu general secretary Zenzo Mahlangu said their argument was Cosatu had to further engage with the leadership of the ANC on Zuma’s decisions, especially his controversial cabinet reshuffle. “We never wanted that (Zuma’s resignation). Our argument is let’s talk to the ANC first. Besides it is the prerogative of the president (to reshuffle the cabinet),” he said. “We were saying that let us not play to the gallery of the opposition,” he added.
It has been established that the public-sector unions – which became power brokers after the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the shrinking of the NUM – were angered by the ANC’s failure to meet Cosatu late last year. There was no voting on the matter. A Cosatu CEC member said affiliates were told the ANC had rejected efforts by Cosatu leaders to meet. He decried how the debate and subsequent decision on Zuma had divided the federation. “We are more divided now. Cosatu is backtracking,” a CEC member said.
On Wednesday, Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini and its general secretary, Bheki Ntshalintshali, met Zuma over the federation’s calls for him to step down. In a statement, Cosatu said it was decided that the CEC would meet with the top six after the Easter weekend.
Popcru general secretary Nathi Theledi did not respond to questions about his union’s stance on Zuma. “The CEC engaged, resolved and officially pronounced to the public on that matter. The discussions that preceded the resolution should not be the bone of contention,” he said.
Dlamini would not be drawn on the matter. “It is a Cosatu position. I wouldn’t want to talk about how we arrived at it,” he said.
NUM general secretary David Sipunzi did not respond to text questions, and Nehawu general secretary Bereng Soke could not be reached for comment. Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke referred questions to his deputy, Nkosana Dolopi, who did not respond to text questions.
After its CEC meeting on Monday, Cosatu was scathing in its criticism of Zuma. “We reject that it’s the president’s prerogative to reshuffle the cabinet, because the ANC campaigned not as individuals, but as a team, and the voters gave the mandate to the organisation, not to any individual.
“The president derives his mandate like any other ANC deployee from the movement,” Ntshalintshali said.
The original of this report by George Matlala is on page 4 of The Sunday Independent of 9 April 2017
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