Cosatu congratulates ANC on victory

Cosatu on Friday congratulated the ANC on its victory in the overwhelming majority of municipalities in the local government elections.

"With over 60 percent of the vote the ANC has proved once again that it is still the party of the people, particularly the workers and the poor," the union federation's spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement.

"We wish all the newly elected councillors success as they begin to tackle the formidable challenges that lie ahead."

Cosatu also thanked all its members who had worked tirelessly to help the ANC on the road to victory. Their work had strengthened the alliance at grass-roots level and proved the value of unity in action in the struggle against poverty, unemployment and inequality, he said.

It was not an easy election for the ANC. Many of the poorest communities had slum housing, no basic services and infrastructure, and were understandably angry at the slow pace of delivery.

"It is a measure of the standing of the ANC that even in these poorest of the poor communities, the majority stayed loyal to their ANC," Craven said.

"There must be no more 'open toilets' scandals, no more failing to spend money in the budgets, and above all no more corruption and waste of public resources by councillors who abuse their position to line their own pockets instead of serving the people who voted them into office."

The federation was "fully behind" its affiliate, the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu), in its "courageous battle" to expose corruption and bring the offenders to justice.

"We will insist that in return for the union's decision to suspend its planned industrial action until after the elections, the ANC leadership must honour its commitment to take up the issues raised by Samwu, particularly the reinstatement of whistle-blowers, immediately after the elections."

Cosatu also looked forward to investigations the ANC had promised into allegations of abuse of the candidate selection process. It would support the removal of councillors found to have been appointed as candidates without the consent of their branch and/or their community, Craven said.