COSATU To Dump Zuma? 3
The latest reports in the media seem to indicate that COSATU is getting nervous backing Jacob Zuma and may look to be throwing their weight behind someone else who is not Thabo Mbeki. We’ve seen this happen before with COSATU when Zuma was embroiled in his rape trial COSATU were scrambling to find a suitable replacement should he be convicted. When his original corruption trial was struck off the court roll it looked like COSATU (or at least COSATU Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi) were betting all their chip on Zuma.
However with the NPA making it clear that they fully intend to re-prosecute Zuma on corruption charges and with their being a good chance that the trial will take place during the ANC NEC elections it might be a good idea to look for another candidate to put their weight behind. The name brought up again as a possible COSATU backed candidate is ANC Secretary General Kgalema Motlanthe. He was mentioned as a possible Zuma replacement back during the rape trial as well.
Update: Cosatu scorns Sunday Times’s Zuma reportThere is no truth in media reports that Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) leaders have “dropped” their support for Jacob Zuma as a candidate for the African National Congress (ANC) presidency, the union federation said on Sunday.
Not to put too fine a point on it: they’ve dumped him. Denials notwithstanding.
I get that impression too. COSATU’s ‘Anybody but Mbeki’ approach to backing a candidate is a bit haphazard. I also don’t think that the SACP are all that enamoured with him. Jeremy Cronin has questioned why they are supporting him and Alex Erwin and Charles Ncaqula are both high up SACP Mbeki loyalists.
To the best of my knowledge, COSATU hasn’t even bothered to gauge the feelings of their constituents in this regard. I believe they quietly fancy Kgalema Motlanthe as Zuma’s ‘successor”. He’s supposed to be a leftie.