Numsa calls on Zuma, ministers to resign

Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim. File photo: Steve Lawrence

Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim. File photo: Steve Lawrence

Published May 15, 2014

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Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma and Cabinet ministers who defended spending on security upgrades at his Nkandla homestead should resign, Numsa said on Thursday.

“The president must resign. Further, we call on those ministers who scandalously defended the president and misled the public on Nkandla to resign as well,” National Union of Metalworkers of SA general secretary Irvin Jim said.

“We call on the defence of the public protector (Thuli Madonsela) by workers.”

Jim was briefing reporters in Johannesburg about a four-day meeting of the union's central committee.

He said the R246 million upgrade to Zuma's private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal was nothing “other than the ruling elite spending a huge amount of public money on a private residence for one man and his family”.

Madonsela, in her report on Nkandla, found Zuma and his family unduly benefited from the upgrades, which included a swimming pool, a cattle kraal, and an amphitheatre. She recommended, among other things, that he pay back a portion of the money.

Zuma has said previously that he would await the outcome of another probe by the Special Investigating Unit before responding to the matter.

Jim called on Zuma to respond to Madonsela's report immediately.

Numsa's deputy general secretary Karl Cloete said earlier the union is exploring the formation of a new labour federation.

Jim also said the union resolved to form a political party for workers.

“The working class needs its own political party... the working class is leaderless.”

For now the party would be referred to as the United Front, and its name finalised next year, he said.

Sapa

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