CAPE TOWN, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) on Thursday denied allegations that it had collaborated with big businesses to get rid of former president Jacob Zuma.

"COSATU dismisses this as another outlandish conspiracy theory promoted by cranks masquerading as serious journalists," COSATU national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said.

An online article from Africa News that is circulating on social media claims that COSATU met with Business Leadership of South Africa (BLSA) last year to conspire the downfall of Zuma.

Anyone who has paid the slightest attention to the political developments in this country will know that calls for Zuma to step down started in November 2016 seven months before COSATU met BLSA in June last year, Pamla said.

Under great pressure, Zuma resigned in February this year following massive nationwide protests against him. Some of the protests were organized by COSATU.

Zuma supporters claim that big businesses like BLSA masterminded the campaign to force Zuma out of office, with the support of COSATU.

COSATU, a coalition partner with the ruling African National Congress (ANC), joined the nationwide anti-Zuma campaign in 2017 only after Zuma reshuffled his cabinet and left the ANC and the country's economy in tatters, Pamla said.

Marches organized by COSATU were against both Zuma and big businesses, he said.

"We will continue to meet, engage, cajole, coerce and fight against big business because our relationship is characterized by the permanent contradictions that make that inevitable," he said.

All the attacks directed against COSATU, including the use of some sections of the media for misinformation and generating perceptions, which seek to undermine the federation and its leadership will not succeed, Pamla said.