The biggest public sector union, the National Union of Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) has on Tuesday called on President Jacob Zuma to step down as his leadership in government “was untenable”.

The union, an affiliate of the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), said there was declining hope in Zuma’s government.

“Everything considered, including the deepening socio-economic crisis, lack of strategic oversight and leadership in government, declining hope amongst our people and the ever swirling scandalous revelations of corruption, the NEC has come to a conclusion that it can no longer be denied that the leadership of President Jacob Zuma in government is now untenable,” the union said following its central executive committee meeting.

“Therefore Nehawu calls on comrade Jacob Zuma to take the honourable and courageous decision in the interest of the ANC and our people by resigning as the President of South Africa, so that by the time the ANC contests the 2019 general elections, he will be not either state or president of the ANC.”

Nehawu was the first Cosatu affiliate to publicly call for Zuma’s head. The country’s biggest trade union movement has seen divisions with the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) expelled along with former Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi for taking a stance and not supporting the governing African National Congress (ANC) in the 2014 general elections.

Vavi was expelled for misconduct and bringing Cosatu into disrepute.

Recently, the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu), which was opposed to Numsa and Vavi expulsions, left Cosatu to join a new federation championed by Vavi and Numsa.

Nehawu said the working class cannot stand and watch the unfolding crisis in the country.

“Whilst we believe that no single individual, even as president of the country, can be solely responsible for all the socioeconomic and political ills in our society, and whilst we appreciate that comrade Jacob Zuma has served our struggle well over the years, the organised working class cannot stand idle by and be silent when it is clear that the revolution is taking a disastrous trajectory as it needlessly lurches from crisis to crisis.”

It called on the ANC NEC to remove Zuma as it was done with the recall of former president Thabo Mbeki in 2008, and replace Zuma with incumbent Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“We are making this call whilst being painfully conscious of the poisoned climate of factional contestation within the ANC that would make it difficult for the ANC to arrive at a broadly supported solution to the current tragic impasse. Nonetheless, as Nehawu we expect the ANC and President Jacob Zuma to rise to the occasion in the interests of the ANC and the masses of our people,” the union said.