South Africa’s Powerful Union vows not to support ANC in 2014
Could the end to Nelson Mandela mean an end to dominating party ANC in South Afria, with a major blow downing on the face of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), the country’s powerful National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has announced it will not support t
he party in crucial national elections next year.
Sources on Friday reported that the call is a follow up to the union’s earlier call on President Jacob Zuma to resign.
At the end of a special meeting of the union’s members in Boksburg near Johannesburg, NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim said the 330,000-member union “will neither endorse nor support the ANC or any other political party in 2014”.
He said Zuma’s administration “is steeped in corruption, patronage and nepotism”.
NUMSA is the biggest member of the Congress of South African Trade Unions that forms part of the alliance with the ANC that also includes the Communist Party (SACP).
Union support for both Zuma and his party has plummeted since the massacre of 34 striking miners at the Marikana mine and revelations that Zuma has spent US$20 million of taxpayers money to upgrade his private home.
Meanwhile, one of the stalwarts of the anti-apartheid struggle has also called on President Zuma to step down.
Barney Pityana said the country is ‘in shambles, and the quality of life of millions of ordinary South Africans is deteriorating’.
In a statement, Pityana chided Zuma, saying his actions ‘must surely have something to do with the manner in which you assumed office, by trampling down on all semblance of the rule of law, and corrupting agencies of state’.
“There is reason to believe that ordinary South Africans have no trust in your integrity as a leader, or in your ability to lead and guide a modern constitutional democracy that we aspire to become. Please spare us another five years under your leadership.
‘Spare yourself any further embarrassment of ineffectual leadership. You will be judged harshly by future generations. I ask you solemnly, resign,” said Pityana who spent 15 years in exile.
