Popcru backs Ramaphosa to take over Zuma

28 November 2016 - 16:57 By Neo Goba
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The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) supports its mother body Cosatu's decision to back Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to take over as the governing party's leader and as the country’s next president.

This comes as the Communications Workers Union and the National Health Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) - both affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) - have recently said that President Jacob Zuma should resign. Nehawu was the first Cosatu member to call for Zuma to go.

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"Cosatu concluded on the matter and any organisation affiliate of Cosatu is bound by the resolutions of its mother body and that's the position [of Popcru]. Obviously if you were to say anything different from what the federation will say‚ I'm afraid that will show a level of ill-discipline‚" said Popcru general secretary Nkosinathi Theledi.

He was addressing members of the media on Monday after the union convened its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting over the weekend.

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"Our support is on principle and wherever we engage‚ be it at the level of the federation‚ we are looking at a collective leadership that will deal and address issues of unity and also give proper political direction to the movement‚" added Theledi.

However‚ when pushed for an answer on whether or not the union supports or rejects the call for Zuma to step down‚ Popcru says it will discuss as what it has identified as problems with the party and not in the media.

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Turning to factionalism in the African National Congress‚ Popcru said this continued to contribute negatively to the ANC's internal strife‚ with "rivalries between supporters of particular local‚ regional or national personalities" continuing to destroy the value of selfless service and leadership central to the ethos of the ANC.

"The organisation's rank and file cannot be convinced by leadership calls for good behaviour when those leading at the highest echelons continue to tolerate corruption‚ both within organisational structures and in government. No individual leader should be above the collective to an extent that they are beyond reproach‚ at all levels of leadership‚" the union added.

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