President Jacob Zuma is not indispensable, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said on Tuesday.

"The ANC [African National Congress] is capable to fill that position. There are a number of ANC comrades within the ANC," he said at a briefing on the trade union federation's central executive committee meeting on Monday.

The committee resolved that Zuma should step down.

He said the African National Congress was not found wanting when it recalled then president Thabo Mbeki in September 2008.

Cosatu was reacting to Zuma's Cabinet reshuffle, which he announced on Thursday night. Finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas were among those axed.

'Stepdaughter'

Zuma did not consult the ANC's top five senior officials and the ANC's alliance partners.

"We don't take kindly to not being consulted on this matter," said Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini.

Ntshalintshali said Zuma did not have the leadership ability to unite the ANC. The Gupta family's influence over him and the Constitutional Court ruling on his Nkandla homestead were evidence of this.

Dlamini said they would mobilise their workers. Cosatu still had influence in the ANC and did not take kindly to being treated like a stepdaughter in the tripartite alliance, he said.

"It can never be too late for people to sober up and act to correct themselves. Even if it means marching in the streets to make that point. Even it means we shall occupy certain houses to make that point. We are sending a clear message to the country that we cannot contain this anymore. We need serious responses."

The ANC is currently having its extended national working committee meeting at Luthuli House. Spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the party's senior leaders had called the meeting.

The reshuffle had plunged the ANC into a new crisis. Secretary general Gwede Mantashe criticised Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza for calling him and other leaders ill-disciplined for openly disagreeing with Zuma.

Mantashe, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, and ANC treasurer general Zweli Mkhize had all criticised Zuma for not consulting them.

Dlamini said ANC leaders needed to stop slate politics and factionalism.