Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says that the new leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) should not comprise people who are looking to be deployed to government positions.
The labour federation says it has learnt a key lesson since it endorsed President Jacob Zuma as its preferred ANC candidate ahead of the 2007 Polokwane conference.
Cosatu’s general-secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali says, “You can’t have an ANC that is relying on being deployed which is supposed to be the supervising of the top six and the president himself they are now reporting to the president. So the president calls them one by one and gives them instructions and those that stand firm and say this is not right we know what happens – their punishment. So you need an NEC which is a mix. You need professionals, you need people who are not working in government, who are not asking to be deployed who say I am working either I am working at the university. I have my salary at the university I came to the NEC to make a contribution.”
Click below for watch the conference as it happens:
