Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) leaders were yesterday battling to contain the storm unleashed by the federation’s backing of sacked deputy president Jacob Zuma, after its rank and file put Cosatu on a collision course with the country’s judiciary.

In a dramatic move, Cosatu members insisted that President Thabo Mbeki reinstate Zuma and quash criminal charges against him.

The members took the stance at the federation’s central committee meeting on Monday night, rejecting what Cosatu chief Zwelinzima Vavi had called the movement’s “complex and nuanced” support for Zuma. Cosatu initially called for Zuma to be tried in court on the grounds that he was innocent until proven guilty.

The federation then modified its position to say while it supported Zuma’s right to a fair trial, it was firmly opposed to corruption.

Now Vavi and his colleagues are battling to contain the wave of pro-Zuma support within Cosatu’s ranks. Cosatu officials conceded that the resolution was a “mess” and put the organisation in a corner.

Sources present at Monday’s meeting said some delegates were so “emotional” that they called for SA to be made ungovernable.

Zuma, who dropped in on the meeting yesterday, told delegates he was humbled by their support. He goes on trial for graft in October.

Cosatu’s far-reaching resolution appears to have caught the African National Congress (ANC) off guard.

ANC deputy secretary-general Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele said: “Cosatu’s resolution does concern us (the ANC) and we need to sit down and look at the detail of it in a bilateral meeting.”

Political analyst Steven Friedman said yesterday that Cosatu’s pro-Zuma position was “disturbing” and would dent its credibility.

“Cosatu has been a beacon of democratic principle on issues such as Zimbabwe and HIV/AIDS.

“It’s a pity that it has taken this stance because in blaming the media (for Zuma’s predicament) it means effectively there can be no corruption trial in SA,” he said.

Sources in Cosatu, which launched a Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust yesterday, said the federation was struggling to sort out the “mess” created by its support for the embattled ANC deputy president.

Monday’s resolution amounts to a rejection of a report presented to delegates by Vavi on the same day.

Vavi’s report had sought to shield Cosatu from accusations that it backed Zuma at all costs.

Vavi told the 500 delegates: “To be clear, Cosatu only supported the right of comrade Zuma, as a matter of principle, to be treated fairly. Should he be found guilty after the due process of law, Cosatu shall be unwavering in demanding that the law must take its course.”

He said the federation had failed to communicate its “complex and nuanced” position on Zuma to the public.

“As a result our (Cosatu’s) position has been misunderstood as unprincipled support for corrupt leaders (and) blind loyalty.”

He said then Cosatu welcomed the opportunity Zuma would have to defend himself in court. Vavi’s report had been accepted by Cosatu’s central executive committee, made up exclusively of the federation’s leaders, ahead of this week’s meeting.

By yesterday it was clear delegates had rejected it.

Instead, the delegates called Zuma’s coming court case a “political trial” in which Zuma would have no chance of a fair hearing. Zuma had already suffered a “hysterical trial by media and found guilty in absentia”, they said.

Asked yesterday about the contrast, Vavi said the central committee, which was “a higher structure,” had reversed the decisions of the central executive committee.

Mthembi-Mahanyele said the matter was also likely to be raised at the next alliance secretariat meeting later this month.

In its reaction, the South African Communist Party (SACP) said it would be guided by the decisions taken at last month’s meeting of the ANC national general council.

Tellingly, the council did not question Mbeki’s right to sack Zuma as SA’s deputy president, although it did restore him to his party duties.

SACP deputy general secretary Jeremy Cronin said the party would not adopt a separate position.

However, sources said the absence of an independent SACP stance was the result of deep divisions in the party’s leadership over Zuma.

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