Johannesburg – An unprecedented decision to stop funding the ANC’s election campaign has placed top leaders of Cosatu’s biggest affiliate, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) in the firing line.
Sunday World understands that knives are out for Nehawu’s general secretary, Zola Saphetha, and president Mzwandile Makwayiba as a result of the decision.
The trade union, with a membership of over 240 000, is holding its four-day congress from 3-6 November at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
[membership level=”1″]
Sources in the union have told Sunday World that angry union members were targeting Saphetha and Makwayiba over the resolution not to support the ANC.
In December, Nehawu’s national executive committee decided that its leaders would not campaign for the ANC and the organisation would not release material resources such as pamphlets, T-shirts and trucks fitted with sound systems and car hire, and accommodation for leaders to campaign.
The union failed to convince other Cosatu affiliates to drop the ANC, leading to the federation endorsing the governing party for the upcoming local polls in November.
The move is said to have put Saphetha and Makwayiba in a precarious position. Union lobbyists have approached Saphetha’s deputy, December Mavuso, to contest for the powerful post of general secretary while Mike Shingange has been approached to contest the president’s position.
“Zola is definitely under siege. Some of the big regions are rejecting him,” a Nehawu leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“They might have overestimated the anger of workers towards the ANC. It is simplistic to think the anger on salary adjustments is proportional to not supporting the ANC. Workers are still affi rming the ANC.”
Another Cosatu leader said Saphetha and Makwayiba’s leadership had also strained relations between the union and other public sector unions including the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union and the SA Democratic Teachers Union.
Saphetha said he was not aware Mavuso was punted as his successor. “I am not aware of such as structures are discussing congress-related matters,” he said yesterday.
To read more political news and views, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
Sunday World
[/membership] [pmpro_signup submit_button=”Register” level=”1″ login=”1″ redirect=”referrer” short=”false” title=”Thank you for choosing Sunday World, to read this article for free, please register below at no cost.” short=”true” custom_fields=”true”]
