Five key issues from Cosatu congress
Johannesburg - The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) sent several key signals to the ruling African National Congress (ANC) from behind the scenes at its elective congress this week.
Although the once-mighty Cosatu is significantly smaller since the ousting of its former general-secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, and the National Union of Metal Workers (Numsa), it remains the country's biggest trade federation umbrella movement and a key tripartite alliance partner.
Below are five significant political points made this week.
1) A formal resolution on whether Cosatu would back Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for president in 2017 at the ANC's next elective conference was not adopted, but the point was made nevertheless. The matter was raised from the floor and seconded by unions. Several delegates, speaking to the media on and off the record, made it clear they did not want President Jacob Zuma's ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for president - they wanted Ramaphosa "finish en klaar".
2) There was no feather in Cosatu's gender equality cap over the matter of women leaders. Earlier, speculation was rife that the movement might elect a woman to its top structures, but second deputy president Zongiswa Losi personally declined the nomination for deputy general-secretary, choosing to remain in her current position.