Former president Thabo Mbeki has been challenged to say whether he backs the ANC or its breakaway, the Congress of the People.
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA said on Wednesday that Mbeki must defend the ANC in next year's election. It also urged former president Nelson Mandela to give public support for the party.
Trade union federation Cosatu backed the union's call.
Union General-Secretary Irvin Jim said while the union respected Mbeki for his leadership of the ANC, he was being "wishy-washy" about where he stood when it came to the Congress of the People, which will be launched next month by former defence minister and ANC chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota, former deputy defence minister Mluleki George and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa.
"We respect comrade Thabo Mbeki, but what worries us is that we cannot tell where this stalwart of our movement stands on what is happening," said Jim. "Thabo Mbeki should be the last line of defence for the ANC. He is the library of the ANC and we expect him to defend the ANC when it is under attack. We don't want to disrespect him, but we cannot keep quiet any longer."
The union was one of only a few that backed Mbeki before the ANC's Polokwane conference, where he lost the leadership of the party to Jacob Zuma.
Jim derided the new party and its leaders as "capitalists" who did not represent the interests of the poor and the working class.
The union represents more than 260 000 workers.
It has said it does not expect Mandela to campaign actively for the ANC in the run-up to the elections, owing to his advanced age, but it does want to ask him to urge the public to vote ANC.
Cosatu General-Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said while he supported Numsa's stance he did not think that Mbeki would "reveal" anything before the election.
0 comments:
Post a Comment