Johannesburg - The National Union of Metalworkers SA (Numsa) says it is disgusted by Cosatu’s decision to support Cyril Ramaphosa as the next president of the ANC.
Numsa, which was kicked out of Cosatu, said Cosatu’s support of Ramaphosa was proof that the labour federation is no longer a militant champion for workers.
On Thursday, Cosatu announced its decision to support Ramaphosa following it central executive committee meeting.
It said it would lobby support amongst its members for Ramaphosa, who is said to be set to run along side AU Commission chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who has apparently been lobbied by certain groups within the ANC.
Numsa said a ANC government led by Ramaphosa would be no different to that of President Jacob Zuma.
“It (the ANC) will continue to consolidate the power of the white monopoly capitalism and to reassure credit ratings that South Africa is a good place to invest and exploit our natural resources and cheap labour,” said Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim.
“It will no longer stop corruption and the looting of the country’s wealth, which is not confined to a few crony capitalists and their political friends.”
Numsa, which is the biggest union in the country, labelled Ramaphosa as enemy number one of the working class mainly for his business interests and his role as the government representative at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).
The union also listed his role as a former director at Lonmin during the Marikana Massacre, where 34 miners were shot dead by the police during a wage strike in August 2012.
Ramaphosa was cleared of responsibility during the Farlam Commission of Inquiry.
Numsa has also been vocal against the proposed R3 500 National Minimum Wage announced by Ramaphosa on Sunday.
The SACP was also not spared in Numsa’s criticism, with the union calling it out for not sticking to its revolutionary agenda.
Numsa said Cosatu's decision should be a wake-up call for Cosatu affiliates and their members, to accept that the federation was no longer on their side.
Numsa is currently working with some former Cosatu affiliates and the trade federation’s former general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi to launch a new trade union federation, which they have promised will be more militant and driven by workers' struggles.
Labour Bureau