Union bids to oust Patriotic Alliance

The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) wants the ANC’s coalition partners in Johannesburg to band together to oust the Patriotic Alliance (PA) from the government of local unity.

This after the PA’s urgent interdict application to stop the ANC from terminating its agreement with the party. While the application was struck off the court roll, the High Court in Johannesburg had the ANC concede it could not simply terminate the coalition and it had to honour the terms of its agreement.

Both parties seemed to think they walked away victorious, but the union wanted the PA out of the city council.

Samwu spokeswoman Karabo Ramahuba said the city was better off in the hands of opposition parties than being run with the PA in the coalition.

According to PA spokesman Charles Cilliers, the matter was removed from the court roll on the basis that the ANC denied that it wanted to end the coalition.

The spat between the organisations came as Samwu accused the PA and its leader, Gayton McKenzie, of capturing the city’s housing department and the Joburg Property Company.