The cabinet has lashed out at Cosatu, suggesting the trade union giant could do with "civic education" on the constitution.

The government was responding to Cosatu's call on President Thabo Mbeki to reinstate his former deputy, Jacob Zuma, and stop the corruption trial against him, which is due to start in October.

"We hope no one is calling on the president to break the law, trash the constitution, and undermine our young democracy, because that is something the president will never do," chief government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe said yesterday.

"Among other things, the constitution enjoins us to a separation of powers and decisions of that kind are not taken by the President," Netshitenzhe said in reference to the separation of powers between the judiciary, legislature and executive.

Netshitenzhe also stressed that the choice of his deputy was "the prerogative of the president" and referred to Mbeki's lengthy speech in parliament when he fired Zuma in June, after his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was convicted on charges of fraud and corruption.

Cosatu made the surprise call in a resolution adopted by its central committee - the federation's highest decision-making body - after its five-yearly general council meetings.

Netshitenzhe said the government would respond to Cosatu's call at more length, once the federation had sent it a formal submission.

But, responding to questions about whether the cabinet had discussed educating Cosatu's membership and leadership about the constitution, he said: "We hope that the general sentiment we are reiterating in the statement will help in that civic education, but perhaps we should also call on the media to assist in that regard."

With acknowledgements to Jeremy Michaels and The Star.