Pretoria - The African National Congress-aligned National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Thursday called on President Jacob Zuma to step down and to be replaced by his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa.
In his opening remarks at the two-day NUM central executive committee meeting underway in Tshwane, union President Piet Matosa said South Africa needed "sober leaders".
"The NEC [national executive committee] of NUM decided that Cyril Ramaphosa should be the next president of the ANC. Therefore we call upon this central committee [meeting] to endorse this decision and affirm in this regard," Matosa said as he addressed the gathering also attended by ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.
"We should ensure that comrade Cyril Ramaphosa's campaign journey is a success. This is the message we must take to our branches and those of the ANC. The deputy president of the ANC has always succeeded the president of the ANC. We want someone who brings hope that the ANC can be rescued from the current challenges."
Matosa called on President Zuma to step down.
"We are therefore saying President Zuma has to step down. He has failed to lead and unite our country South Africa and the ANC."
Matosa condemned the "brazen unusual tendencies and the corporate capture of the South African democratic State".
"Comrades, the capture of our State seems to run deep and wide. Yesterday it was Denel, Transnet, Tegeta, Eskom, DMR [department of mineral resources], and many others. Tomorrow it will be the judiciary and even unions may not be immune," said Matosa.
"The tentacles of the criminal network are long, scheming, and never cease to amaze. Thus, as NUM, we welcome government and ANC's commitment towards establishing the judicial commission. It is clear that the courts of our country are going to play a very important role in days and months to come. Not because of temptation for judicial overreach."
He said current developments, particularly the leaked Gupta emails, would land in the corridors of the courts and may lead to jail time for some.
"So there could be attempts to begin to defame the judiciary as a despairing tactic by those implicated," said Matosa.
"The courts must be resilient and their independence uncontaminated. There is a possibility to target them and the judicial officers, given the current revelations which can only be properly and fairly be mediated by them. This must not be allowed to happen."
A Cosatu delegation, led by president Sdumo Dlamini, was also present. A delegation of the South African Communist Party was led by second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila, who received a thunderous welcome from the delegates when he was introduced.