Cosatu: Zuma welcome to address May Day rally as ANC leader
Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini says the federation is only disputing Zuma’s leadership capability as the president of the country, not as leader of the party.
JOHANNESBURG – Congress of South African Trade Union (Cosatu) president Sdumo Dlamini says President Jacob Zuma is welcome to address its May Day rally in his capacity as president of the African National Congress (ANC) and not as leader of the country.
Earlier this month, the trade union federation said it no longer had faith in Zuma’s leadership capabilities as president of the country.
Two of Cosatu’s affiliate unions, the National Health Education & Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the Communication Workers Union, are against the decision to allow Zuma to speak, saying it will create conflicting messages.
Nehawu has asked Cosatu to ask the ANC to send another representative to address the rally.
Dlamini says the federation is only disputing Zuma’s leadership capability as the president of the country, not as leader of the party.
“Cosatu has invited speakers of the ANC and the ANC deploys the speakers it chooses to select. If Zuma comes, then we won’t have a problem.”