Cosatu in KwaZulu-Natal says energy that the ANC should direct towards avoiding another humiliating loss in the next local government elections is being wasted on a war of words with its alliance.
Divisions within the alliance have deepened with the latest spat between ANC KZN secretary Bheki Mtolo and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) at the weekend. Now Cosatu has expressed frustration over an “unnecessary conversation”.
Nehawu is the largest public sector trade union and is an affiliate of Cosatu, a trade union federation that forms part of the tripartite alliance with the ANC.
When you get to home affairs seeking a death certificate and you are not given attention by the staff, that's Nehawu. When ambulances take time to get to your home, the delay behind that is Nehawu.
— Bheki Mtolo, ANC KZN secretary
A war of words broke out between Mtolo and Nehawu after the union’s criticism of the ANC forming the government of national unity with parties such as the DA. Mtolo fired back saying Nehawu’s “incompetent members” were responsible for the collapse of many government entities.
Speaking to TimesLIVE Premium on Tuesday, Cosatu's KZN secretary Edwin Mkhize said a productive discussion from Mtolo would be his analysis of the ANC's electoral loss.
“This attack on Nehawu is malicious and unwarranted, no-one can say exactly what the provincial secretary of the ANC is trying to prove here, all this energy must be directed in assessing the elections and preparing for the 2026 elections.
“The risk, if this is not fixed, is people of the province losing hope in the ANC. We hope now the national leadership will have the reason to convene us more than before, failing which we will go back to our structures to present the situation,” said Mkhize.
Mkhize said Mtolo’s response was symptomatic of fractures in the alliance — which Cosatu has previously raised and called for the national leadership of the tripartite alliance to address.
“The national leadership of the alliance has been making this call as Cosatu in KZN for them to descend to the province. We don't understand why the officials of the alliance at national level are not realising the challenge that is faced in KZN. If the leadership at national level does not see the extent of the problem faced by KZN, it means we also have a problem at that level,” he said.
Mkhize alleged the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal under provincial secretary Mkhize stopped alliance secretariat meetings, rejected pre-election strategy meetings, refused to meet during the municipal workers strike that disrupted Durban and sidelined the alliance in the formation of government.
“From towards the end of last year there have been no meetings of the alliance. It's only the national leadership that can intervene and convene us now,” said Mkhize.
Meanwhile Mtolo has refused to retract his statement that Nehawu-affiliated workers are the cause of most government failures at a service delivery level.
“When you get to home affairs seeking a death certificate and you are not given attention by the staff, that's Nehawu. When ambulances take time to get to your home, the delay behind that is Nehawu,” Mtolo said while addressing party supporters in Kokstad at the weekend.
Nehawu said his comments were reckless.
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