ANC employees have hit the ground running, after an agreement to suspend strike action, following the ruling party’s failure to pay their salaries.
The employees are already seen participating in the voter registration weekend for the local government elections, that are expected to take place on November 1.
ANC staff representative committee spokesperson Mvusi Mdala confirmed that they are hard at work, participating in the voter registration and election campaign.
“We are busy with elections, we want victory for the ANC. We just considered that we are revolutionaries and we are selfless. Our problems are there, but we think about the rest of the country – the poor depend on the ANC. We said let's suspend our industrial action until elections are over,” said Mdala.
Mdala said the leadership were happy, due to their decision to return to work.
“They appreciated that decision, we are doing it for the sake of the movement. We are hitting the ground running – doing some work yesterday and more work today, for the election campaign. There are those that were not paid, we know that the level of participation will not be the same, and they cannot be expected to behave like others. If you do not have petrol to move, everyone must understand,” said Mdala.
The staff took a unanimous decision on Thursday, in a general meeting.
A total of 70 out of 240 staff have not been paid, though they were promised to be paid their July salaries today.
Fired ANC member and MKMVA spokesperson Carl Niehaus has also submitted his appeal to ANC general manager Febe Potgieter, on his dismissal, after what he called an illegal action last week.
“The grounds of appeal are that the dismissal was both unfair and unlawful. In terms of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, the dismissal was both procedurally and substantively unfair, more particularly in that my constitutional and legislative rights to a disciplinary hearing were not observed by the ANC, and I committed no recognised act of misconduct. The only lawful remedy is immediate reinstatement,” said Niehaus.
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, and the national officials, will lead members of the national executive committee, on the voter registration weekend campaign, across all nine provinces, and in almost all municipal areas of South Africa, from Saturday to Sunday.
The ANC, in a statement, said it’s registration weekend campaign is about mobilising all potential voters to register for the elections.
“All eligible voters are encouraged to use the voter registration weekend to check, update, and verify their status on the voters' roll. This will also provide an opportunity for first-time voters to register for the elections,” said ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe.
Ramaphosa will participate in a door-to-door campaign at Nomzamo informal settlement, Chiawelo, and other parts of Soweto.
On Sunday, Ramaphosa will be in Mpumalanga to campaign there. ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe will be in the North West, while treasurer-general Paul Mashatile will be campaigning in Johannesburg, at the weekend.
Political Bureau