The eThekwini municipality is giving the ANC a bad name, union federation Cosatu’s secretary, Mlondi Manzini, has said.
“They are not acting. They have failed the ANC and they shame us as the alliance,” he told members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) yesterday at a protest march in Durban.
The municipality had failed to address issues in the metro police dating as far back as 2005, Manzini said.
“I am ashamed as an ANC member, how can they do this us, as the ANC and as the alliance?” he asked.
Samwu deputy regional secretary Pretty Shange said the city had failed to give older metro police the basic training which would enable them to progress to other positions.
She said scholar patrols needed to work more hours, and that the people who manned them needed to be appointed as permanent workers.
The union was also concerned about the victimisation of shop stewards who fought against corruption.
Marchers carried placards reading: “We demand decent salary with omnibus”, and “We demand stability at the metro police.”
They reacted angrily when Mayor James Nxumalo was not available to accept their memorandum. It was accepted instead by his adviser Joe Nene.
City spokesperson Thabo Mofokeng could not immediately comment.
