The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) in KwaZulu-Natal wants ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo to retract allegations that the union is responsible for poor service delivery.
Ultimatum
The ANC’s alliance partner, which is the largest public sector trade union by membership, has given Mtolo until Tuesday to retract the statement he made and issue an apology to the union.
This comes after Mtolo recently accused the Nehawu members of incompetence, that has resulted in the collapse of numerous state entities. He was speaking at Kokstad, a town in the Harry Gwala District Municipality.
His missive came after Nehawu recently hosted a highly publicised political school in which the ANC was criticised by its alliance partners for forming a government of national unity with the DA.
Ayanda Zulu, KZN Nehawu secretary, said Mtolo’s failure to meet the demands will exclude him from any gathering where the union is present.
Call to reign in provincial secretary
“We are also calling upon the ANC in the province to reign in on its rogue provincial secretary. As Nehawu, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, we vow to no longer submit to such intolerable department and will thus demonstrate our collective might to register our indignation,” said Zulu.
Zulu urged the ANC to analyse the public address he made, where he allegedly showed better support to the government of national unity than the government of his own political party.
He said this address made over the weekend would allow the ANC to determine if Mtolo is their loyal supporter or a high-level member using his power to take down the movement from the inside.
“It’s unfortunate that the ANC in KZN finds itself led by a political moron like Mtolo, who has become a loose cannon at the detriment of the movement. This man represents the highest deterioration in leadership calibre of the ANC in the province.
“It’s disheartening that the ANC is led by a demented and lazy-thinking leader in the form of Bheki Mtolo,” said Zulu.
Risking own lives during pandemic
Zulu said it was the union members who ensured that the country survives the Covid-19 pandemic while risking their own lives, while Mtolo was under restrictions of the time.
He said this was done without protective measures or appreciation from the ANC, and he continues to make malicious and savage slander.
“It is actually disheartening that these unwarrated attacks are cast against a revolutionary and transformative union, whose members continue to invest their limited union resources on a public service delivery campaign with intentions to achieve improved quality service to our people in order to better their lives,” said Zulu.
