The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) says it rejects calls for President Thabo Mbeki to step down as president of the country in the event ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma is elected party head in Polokwane.

"Cosatu will oppose... [Mbeki] stepping down before his term of office expires. The ANC was elected by an overwhelming majority in 2004, with a mandate to lead the country for five years," it said in a statement on Monday.

The ANC had campaigned not as individuals, but as a team, and "that team has to complete its mandate", it said.
"The debate taking place in the ANC is an internal ANC process to adopt new policies and elect a new leadership team, which will go to the country in 2009, to seek a new mandate from the voters.

"There is therefore no need for an early election, as if some opposition party had taken over the ANC and it requires a new mandate from the voters. "It will be the same ANC that won the election in 2004, but one that
will have a new leadership and new policies to take to the voters in 2009," Cosatu said.

The union federation said it was totally opposed to a call by senior members of the ANC Women's League "to march in protest against the democratic decision of their own organisation to nominate Jacob Zuma and others for leadership positions". It said this showed a "contemptuous attitude" towards the democratic process. "The Women's League debated for ten long hours and reached their
considered political decision. Some people may not like that decision, but should respect it like good democrats."

It called on those promoting the march to "drop it". If they went ahead, there would definitely be counter-marches organised. Cosatu also called on those taking part in the leadership elections in Polokwane "to scale down the highly unfortunate levels of personal abuse and mud-slinging".