Zuma to meet Cosatu executive

President Jacob Zuma is set to meet Cosatu’s central executive committee, which called for his resignation after last week’s cabinet reshuffle. Zuma met Cosatu’s president and general secretary on Wednesday, after which it was decided he would hold a follow-up meeting with Cosatu’s highest decisionmaking structure.

President Jacob Zuma is set to meet Cosatu’s central executive committee, which called for his resignation after last week’s cabinet reshuffle.

Zuma met Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini and general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali on Wednesday, after which it was decided the president would hold a follow-up meeting with Cosatu’s highest decisionmaking structure.

The union federation’s central executive resolved to call on Zuma to vacate his position at a special meeting on Monday.

Cosatu cited the president’s failure to consult the union federation about the reshuffle as one of the reasons Zuma had to step down.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has also asked Zuma to resign.

But the ANC national working committee has not taken kindly to its allies making pronouncements on Zuma.

The governing party is also upset that the SACP held a media briefing detailing discussions it had with the ANC. The ANC accused the SACP of “breach[ing] confidentiality”.

The ANC expressed this view at its own briefing at Luthuli House on Wednesday following an extended national working committee meeting.

However, the SACP has since accused the national working committee of trying to use the communist party as a scapegoat for Zuma’s lack of consultation about the reshuffle.

Cosatu spokesman Sizwe Pamla said on Thursday that Zuma and the ANC’s top six officials would meet the central executive committee after the Easter weekend.

It is unclear whether the federation, once among Zuma’s staunchest supporters, was asked to withdraw its call for him to go.

Pamla said that any resolution taken by the union federation’s central executive committee could only be reversed by the decisionmaking structure itself or at a Cosatu congress.

Cosatu’s national officebearers had no power to reverse resolutions taken by the central executive committee.

“He [Zuma] called [on Tuesday]…. By then he had been informed that on our agenda was [the issue of] him stepping down,” Pamla said.