Union says ANC ‘elements’ moving to ‘recall’ Zuma
2010-03-05 15:00
THERE was a movement within the ANC to push for a motion of no
confidence in South African President Jacob Zuma later this year, the SA
Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) said today.
“Counter revolutionaries” within the leading party were moving to
“recall” the president, said Mathandeki Nhlapo, general secretary of the
Congress of SA Trade Union’s affiliate.
At a briefing, he said the group consisted of “progressive
elements” within the leadership of the ANC – which is in an alliance with Cosatu
and the SA Communist Party.
Nhlapo would not name these individuals, but said it was the same
group which leaked information on a planned coup on former president Thabo
Mbeki’s government before the ANC’s Polokwane conference in 2007.
At the time, a report was circulated claiming that businessmen
Tokyo Sexwale and Cyril Ramaphosa were behind an attempt to remove Mbeki from
the presidency.
Nhlapo said the people who leaked the report were responsible for
the possible vote of no confidence against Zuma. They wanted to “cause chaos” in
the country.
“Those people are still within the movement, but they are in the
way of what we are doing,” he said. “We need to crush those people and brutally
so.”
Nhlapo said there was “very, very serious” political tension within
the ANC-led tripartite alliance.
He said Samwu, which “demands” socialism, would defend Zuma.
“Some elements in the ANC want to make changes prematurely,” he
said.
“The ANC cannot be hijacked as we now see happening. We will deal
with corruption that is killing the ANC at this time.”
- SAPA