JOHANNESBURG -The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) welcomed former president Jacob Zuma's resignation on Wednesday, bemoaning the manner in which Zuma had prolonged the process.
"Jacob Zuma had in the last days of his presidency presented himself as a supreme leader who was above the constitution of the country and that of the party which had deployed him to that position," the union said in a statement.
"We have no sympathy for Jacob Zuma, particularly following the shocking interview which he had with the SABC today [Wednesday] wherein he presented himself as an individual who was above the organisation and the constitution of the Republic of South Africa."
In an interview with public broadcaster SABC earlier on Wednesday, Zuma said he had repeatedly asked African National Congress (ANC) leaders why he should resign and what it is that he did wrong. None of the national executive committee members were able to tell him why they wanted him gone, he said.
But Zuma stepped down with immediate effect late on Wednesday night as pressure continued to mount on him to vacate the Union Buildings after nine years in power.
He defiantly said he was not afraid of a no confidence motion or impeachment by his fellow comrades in Parliament as the Wednesday deadline for him to resign drew nearer.