BL Premium reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has threatened to withdraw its support for the ANC in 2021’s local government elections.  

The largest municipal union in SA will convene its central executive committee (CEC) in February or March 2021 to decide whether to support the governing party or not.  While all affiliates of union federation Cosatu have always used their grassroots structures to campaign for the ANC during elections, relations between the two allies have been strained of late.  This has come after the government’s decision to not implement public-sector wage increases in April.  Samwu has also cited the rampant corruption in the government and the ANC.  “We want a meeting with the ANC so that its leadership can explain why municipal workers should continue voting for the ANC.  We want to raise serious questions on governance issues, such as a lack of service delivery, financial irregularities and corruption in municipalities,” said Samwu’s deputy general secretary Dumisani Magagula.  He went on to say:  “We are not going to give them a blank cheque.  Our support will be based on principle.  We are not going to support them just because we are an affiliate of Cosatu, which is an alliance partner of the ANC.”

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (paywall access only)

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