Cosatu's second Deputy President Zingiswa Losi says the central committee meeting condemns the protest outside Mapaila's home.
Solly Mapaila. Picture: EWN
Clement Manyathela | about 5 hours ago
JOHANNESBURG - Trade union federation Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called on President Jacob Zuma to condemn and distance himself from a protest outside the home of the South African Communist Party (SACP)'s Solly Mapaila on Tuesday, describing the demonstration as thuggery.
Cosatu is in its third day of its central committee meeting in Tshwane on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, a group called the MK Foundation held a protest outside Mapaila's house, demanding Mapaila and the communist party leave Zuma alone.
Mapaila has been leading the criticism of Zuma from the SACP.
Cosatu's second Deputy President Zingiswa Losi says the central committee meeting condemns the protest outside Mapaila's home.
"We can't have any other way of describing it other than thuggery."
She says the committee demands that Zuma distances himself from the protest.
"He must condemn and distance himself from those because they are doing it, they have done it in his name."
Cosatu says those who marched must know their demonstration won't stop them from publicly criticising the president.
'EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO MARCH'
Earlier, Mapaila said the only reason people from a group called the MK Foundation held a protest outside his home on Tuesday was to intimidate him and to stop him from criticising Zuma.
Meanwhile, MK Military Veterans Association leader Kebby Maphatsoe said his group has nothing to do with the gathering, but refused to condemn those who went to Mapaila's house.
The SACP is also demanding that Zuma distance himself from those who held this protest in his name.
Maphatsoe said he can't condemn this march, even though it was outside a politician's private home.
"To condemn the march is like condemning South Africans from their constitutional right to march. Everyone has the right to march."
While Mapaila said there's only one reason why this happened.
"There must be an intimidator programme so that Zuma and his cronies can continue to loot state resources."
The SACP also said this won't stop them from their public criticism of Zuma.
'WE WON'T KEEP QUIET'
Meanwhile, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande says that party leaders' phones are being bugged.
Speaking to Talk Radio 702's Xolani Gwala, Nzimande shared concerns about the future of South Africa.
"We won't keep quiet. As the SACP, we were never supporting an individual. We were supporting a leadership that would emerge and actually address some of the things that were going wrong, which is an alliance that was not functioning properly.
"This was not being adequately consulted and so on. If we keep quiet it's going to kill our country and our alliance."
http://ewn.co.za/2017/05/31/cosatu-calls-on-zuma-to-condemn-protests-outside-mapaila-s-home
