"Cosatu no longer believes that the president is the right person to unite and lead the movement‚ the alliance and the country‚" said general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali on Tuesday.
"We think that after all his undeniable contribution to both the movement and government‚ the time has arrived for him to step down and allow the country to be led forward by a new collective at a government level."
Ntshalintshali was speaking at a media briefing after the federation held a special central executive committee meeting at their headquarters in Johannesburg.
Cosatu's comments come as Zuma's cabinet reshuffle late Thursday night‚ which included the axing of former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas‚ continues to send shockwaves through the country.
"We no longer believe in his leadership abilities and we shall be communicating that decision to our ally‚ the ANC.
"The CEC will also be demanding both the movement and the president to give us an explanation on why we were not consulted as an alliance partner and what led to the abandonment of such longstanding traditions‚" added Ntshalintshali.
Flanked by the federation's top leadership‚ Ntshalintshali blamed Zuma for the deep divisions within the ruling party due to a lack of "constructive engagement".
In the past couple of months‚ Cosatu has publicly endorsed deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa to take over as ANC president when Zuma's term as party leader comes to an end in December.
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