On Now
Weekdays 09:00 - 12:00
Mid-Morning Magic Yolanda
NEXT: 12:00 - 15:00 At Lunch with Pulane
Listen Live Streams

National

Municipal union accepts ANC loss of control of key councils

───   05:45 Thu, 18 Aug 2016

Municipal union accepts ANC loss of control of key councils | News Article

Johannesburg - The Cosatu-affiliated South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has accepted the outcome and coalition after doing enough to help the African National Congress (ANC), the union said on Wednesday.


“The ANC needs to do some serious introspection and as a matter of urgency and address issues which have led to this drastic decline in votes. The ANC needs to speak to voters to get a better understanding as to why they were shun. Samwu has done its part in assisting the ANC in these elections but there is only so much that we could do,” the union said.

“Following today’s press conferences by opposition political parties, it is now clear that some municipalities are now out of the grasp of the ANC. Although disappointed at the outcomes, we are a law abiding organisation and will have to accept the outcomes of this democratic process.”

The ANC was poised to be unseated in the country’s key metros such as Tshwane, Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape’s Nelson Mandela Bay after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) decided to shun coalitions but instead support the other opposition parties against the governing party.

However, the EFF does not want Herman Mashaba, the DA mayoral candidate in Johannesburg to head the metro. EFF leader Julius Malema said his party was involved in further talks with the DA to install anyone but Mashaba.

Malema has accused Mashaba of disrespecting black people following negative remarks Mashaba made during one of his election campaigns.

“Mashaba said poor people cannot handle big money and all that. When a person says poor people, he is actually referring to black people… we have a problem with anyone that disrespects blacks. That was the most stupid thing to say… he wants to be more white than white people themselves,” Malema told Radio 702 in an interview on Wednesday.

Mashaba was an inexperienced politician and ‘clueless’ about what was happening in the country, he said.

Samwu said losing municipalities to the opposition was ‘a bitter pill to swallow’ but that it was ready to work with the parties in the interests of its members.

“The reality that some key municipalities have been lost to the opposition is a bitter pill to swallow, particularly loosing municipalities such as Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Rustenburg, Metsimaholo and potentially Africa’s economic hub, the City of Johannesburg,” said Samwu.

“The time for elections and politicking is over, it’s now time to deliver on the constitutional mandate of municipalities which is the delivery of basic services. Samwu is ready to work with any municipal administration in the interest of our members and most importantly in strengthening service delivery in all municipalities.”

ANA

@ 2024 OFM - All rights reserved Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | We Use Cookies - OFM is a division of Central Media Group (PTY) LTD.