Johannesburg - A letter in which the CWU requested Cosatu to not allow President Jacob Zuma to attend its May Day celebrations has emerged on social media.
“We... agree President Zuma should not address the National May Day rally on the 1st May 2017 and that he must be replaced,” said the Communication Worker’s Union in the letter, which adds to the call by Cosatu affiliates for the president not to be a speaker at the event.
“Our understanding of the resolution of the CEC [Central Executive Committee] regarding President Zuma is the same as Nehawu’s,” said CWU deputy general secretary Thabo Mogalane.
He said this belief was that: “…Cosatu no longer believes that the president of the African National Congress and the Republic, comrade Jacob Zuma is the right person to unite and lead the movement, the alliance and the country."
The letter, dated April 26, was addressed to Cosatu for the attention of its general secretary.
On Thursday, CWU President Clyde Mervin confirmed the letter's authenticity.
Earlier this week, Cosatu's biggest affiliate Nehawu wrote to the federation on April 21 demanding that they withdraw Zuma – who is the scheduled speaker – and replace him with Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as the main speaker at its celebrations to be held in Bloemfontein on Monday to mark Workers Day.
General secretary of Cosatu Bheki Ntshalintshali responded to the letter by saying: "The Cosatu's NOB's [national officer bearers] understand that President Zuma as state president should step down. We do not have an understanding that as ANC president he is [not] allowed to attend Cosatu activities," Ntshalintshali wrote at the time.
Nehawu and CWU rightfully wants to know why Cosatu invited Zuma to address the May Day rally when they claim to have lost confidence in him. pic.twitter.com/wvYeF7kccD
— IG: ConceptSixty5 (@Sentletse) April 26, 2017