The ANC failed to unite in defending President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla debacle compared to how it protected former president Thabo Mbeki when reports emerged that millions were spent to finance his retirement home.
Cosatu affiliate Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union said when reports emerged in 2006 that R22-million had been spent to build a retirement home for Mbeki in Riviera, Johannesburg, there were never calls for the public protector and state agencies to investigate how taxpayers' money had been spent.
The union (Popcru), now one of Cosatu's biggest affiliates, wanted to know "who are these members of the ANC who call for his [Zuma's] resignation.
"The majority of them never liked him while some hated him passionately," Popcru general secretary Nathi Theledi said in a report delivered at the union's central executive committee meeting held between July 15 and 17.
'Thabo Mbeki has a responsibility to campaign for the ANC': Sexwale
Theledi said although they were not Zuma's praise singers, the ANC failed to present a united face in defending Zuma on Nkandla, which was not the "first disgrace that South Africa faced regarding presidential homes".
"It is worth noting that the ANC put up a united front at the time to defend and protect its president Mbeki. This contrasts with the divided set of responses that have come out of the party this time around on Nkandla," said Theledi.
The ANC in Gauteng had always differed with many in the party's national executive committee, saying Zuma had to take responsibility and resign over Nkandla.
Theledi emphasised there was no doubt that things went terribly wrong with how money was spent on Nkandla and that they would not be blinded by Zuma's errors.
He, however, took issue with what the union saw as hypocrisy on the reaction to Nkandla and Mbeki's retirement home.
"Does it mean it was right then to build a private property at escalating costs but it is wrong today? What is different today from what happened in 2006?
"Is this not hypocrisy or double standards on similar matters by different individuals at different times?"
Yesterday Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, said they did not need to respond to Popcru's statements.
"We will respond if anybody who suggests we respond provides us with facts to persuade us we should respond," he said.
Union accuses ANC of double standards
The ANC failed to unite in defending President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla debacle compared to how it protected former president Thabo Mbeki when reports emerged that millions were spent to finance his retirement home.
Cosatu affiliate Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union said when reports emerged in 2006 that R22-million had been spent to build a retirement home for Mbeki in Riviera, Johannesburg, there were never calls for the public protector and state agencies to investigate how taxpayers' money had been spent.
The union (Popcru), now one of Cosatu's biggest affiliates, wanted to know "who are these members of the ANC who call for his [Zuma's] resignation.
"The majority of them never liked him while some hated him passionately," Popcru general secretary Nathi Theledi said in a report delivered at the union's central executive committee meeting held between July 15 and 17.
'Thabo Mbeki has a responsibility to campaign for the ANC': Sexwale
Theledi said although they were not Zuma's praise singers, the ANC failed to present a united face in defending Zuma on Nkandla, which was not the "first disgrace that South Africa faced regarding presidential homes".
"It is worth noting that the ANC put up a united front at the time to defend and protect its president Mbeki. This contrasts with the divided set of responses that have come out of the party this time around on Nkandla," said Theledi.
The ANC in Gauteng had always differed with many in the party's national executive committee, saying Zuma had to take responsibility and resign over Nkandla.
Theledi emphasised there was no doubt that things went terribly wrong with how money was spent on Nkandla and that they would not be blinded by Zuma's errors.
He, however, took issue with what the union saw as hypocrisy on the reaction to Nkandla and Mbeki's retirement home.
"Does it mean it was right then to build a private property at escalating costs but it is wrong today? What is different today from what happened in 2006?
"Is this not hypocrisy or double standards on similar matters by different individuals at different times?"
Yesterday Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, said they did not need to respond to Popcru's statements.
"We will respond if anybody who suggests we respond provides us with facts to persuade us we should respond," he said.
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