Boksburg - The African National Congress is failing to produce members with a revolutionary consciousness, Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said on Tuesday.
“Its leadership rejects our principled defence of a pro-working class ANC,” he said, delivering his secretariat report at the National Union of Metalworkers of SA's special national congress in Boksburg, on the East Rand.
“There is internal conflict and factionalism despite communist leadership.”
Numsa identified the Freedom Charter as the benchmark for judging the ANC, said Jim. If the ANC “dumped” the charter it could not claim it was a revolutionary formation.
“Why must Cosatu call on workers to continue to vote for the ANC if it has taken a decision not to implement the Freedom Charter?” he asked.
“Why should black and African workers not simply directly vote for the DA?”
Earlier, Numsa's newly-elected president Andrew Chirwa asked delegates to consider calling for President Jacob Zuma to resign following the R206 million upgrade to his homestead in Nkandla.
The Numsa congress was expected to discuss whether it should support the ANC in next year's elections. It would also discuss the possibility of withdrawing its membership from the Congress of SA Trade Unions.
Jim stopped before finishing his report because of time constraints. He would continue doing so on Wednesday.
Sapa