The top leadership of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) will not back off from its support for embattled politician Jacob Zuma in spite of damaging rape claims made against him.

All indications point to Cosatu being prepared to run the risk of public disapproval, by sticking with Zuma through his latest difficulties. The Zuma debacle is at the top of the agenda at the federation’s central executive meeting following Zuma’s roasting at a three-day African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee gathering.

“People unanimously reaffirmed the decision of the central committee (in August). There is one line on this issue,” said a source who is part of the Cosatu discussions.

Cosatu leaders say their stance is based on the lack of any formal charge of rape against Zuma, even though there is an ongoing police investigation.

The discussion of Zuma by the Cosatu leaders — who have charged that Zuma is the victim of a conspiracy — came on the back of the ANC’s rejection of the conspiracy claims.

On Monday ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe (pictured above) briefed the Cosatu leaders on the executive’s view, which conceded that Zuma may have been mistreated, but said that did not amount to a conspiracy against him.

Last night Cosatu was still locked in discussions to decide on its public reaction to the ANC executive’s management plan for the Zuma crisis.

Steven Friedman of the Centre for Policy Studies said it would be difficult for Cosatu to ditch Zuma over the public rape claims, given that the federation had banked much of its political capital on a Zuma presidency.

“Cosatu can’t change its stance on the basis of what the media’s reported. They won’t abandon Zuma short of a charge being laid.”

He said Cosatu had already suffered a credibility problem over Zuma.

Cosatu’s leaders yesterday unanimously concluded that it was a “constitutional imperative” to continue supporting the former deputy president as this was decided on by the central committee, the highest decision-making forum between congresses.

With acknowledgements to Karima Brown, Vukani Mde and the Business Day.