Cosatu denies Zuma 'confession'

2005-12-02 16:40

Johannesburg - The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) has distanced itself from a newspaper report that Jacob Zuma confessed to senior trade union and communist leaders that he had sex with the woman he is reportedly alleged to have raped.

Cosatu also denied being part of a reported meeting at Zuma's Nkandla home, where it was agreed he would not resign before Cosatu's 20th birthday celebrations, which he was scheduled to address.

"We condemn particularly the downright lie that the Cosatu president (Willie Madisha) and general secretary (Zwelinzima Vavi) had a meeting with the ANC (African National Congress) deputy president (Zuma), at which he said he had consensual sex, but (had) not committed rape," Cosatu said.

"Neither Cosatu, nor any of its leaders were ever part of any meeting, at Nkandla or anywhere else, where it was agreed - as suggested in the Mail and Guardian - that the ANC deputy president should not resign from his position until after the 20th anniversary celebrations of Cosatu (on Sunday)...

'Conniving'

"If indeed there are people within the federation who are his genuine sources (which we doubt) it would be clear case of charlatans hell-bent on destroying the very movement they claim to lead.

"The journalist concerned was either creating a story in order to increase the sales of the Mail and Guardian, or was conniving with 'faceless charlatans' to damage the federation and Zuma," Cosatu concluded.

It has been reported that Zuma faces a complaint of rape, made by a friend of the family, and that the matter has been forwarded by police to the National Prosecuting Authority for consideration on how to proceed.

Zuma, who has also been indicted on corruption charges, believes there is a conspiracy against him. He has received support from Cosatu on the corruption charges, but the union body has adopted a wait-and-see approach to the rape complaint.

According to the Mail and Guardian report, Zuma decided not resign after a meeting with Vavi, Madisha and the SA Communist Party's Blade Nzimande.

He was also reported to have told the alliance leaders that the woman was his girlfriend and that everybody in the family knew about the relationship.

- SAPA