by Ndumiso Mlilo
JOHANNESBURG, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said Tuesday they will not allow South African President Jacob Zuma to address its events as they do not have confidence in his leadership.
At a media briefing in Johannesburg, Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said the decision was made on Monday at a Cosatu's special Central Executive Committee meeting. This follows the booing of Zuma and other African National Congress (ANC) leaders at the May Day celebrations in Free State.
"President Zuma will no longer be welcome to address Cosatu activities. This shall be communicated to the ANC, including engaging on its implications for our future alliance," said Ntshalintshali.
Cosatu are committed to their alliance with the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP), and they will work towards uniting the alliance, said Ntshalintshali.
"We also remain a reliable ally of the ANC. We want to see an ANC that will not only rediscover its mass character but that will use its organizational mass power to assert a people-driven and a people-centered development instead of using it to fight internal factional battles to get people elected to positions of power," he said.
Cosatu confirmed that they have met Zuma after their call for him to step down and they resolved that they should meet the ANC over the issue.
"We will explain our position as to why we would call a leader of the alliance partners to step down. We do not believe president Zuma is fit to lead the movement," said Ntshalintshali.
