Johannesburg – The National Union of Mineworkers Youth Structure (NUM-YS) on Sunday came out in full support of the NUM and Congress of South African Trade Unions' (Cosatu) decision to back Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed President Jacob Zuma.
"We... reaffirm the decision taken by our mother body NUM and Cosatu on the issue of the ANC [African National Congress] Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa being the incoming president of the ANC. The NUM-YS has got full confidence in comrade Cyril Ramaphosa, the current deputy president, that he will take this country forward," the NUM-YS said in a statement issued following its annual strategic session meeting this week in Midrand.
"We have noted with disgust the comments made by the ANCYL [ANC Youth League] last week during a press conference that saying Cosatu cannot pronounce on who must lead the ANC. We want to remind the ANCYL that it is the working class of this country that supported President Jacob Zuma to ascend to the current position at Polokwane in 2007.
"The ANCYL must start talking to issues and matters of youths in the country as they face unemployment, inequality, poverty, and [a] poor education system in the country.
"The meeting agreed that it is the time that we leave all leadership differences we had during the conference and build and grow the NUM," the youth structure said.