"Enoch Mgijima Behaving Worse Than Apartheid Government" - COSATU

While addressing supporters outside a locked Mzingisi Skweyiya Hall, Cosatu President, Mike Madala Shingange, condemned the municipality’s decision, saying it amounted to treating people as criminals simply because they belonged to the Communist Party.

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality is governed by the African National Congress (ANC) an alliance partner of the SACP and COSATU.

Shingange warned that denying the SACP access to a public facility risked reviving the political intolerance associated with apartheid-era restrictions on communism.

“We will not allow a situation where membership of the South African Communist Party is once again a criminal offence. We must condemn that and not allow it to happen under our watch,” Shingange said.

He recalled the apartheid government’s Suppression of Communism Act, enacted in 1950, under which communist organisations and individuals faced severe restrictions, arguing that South Africa should not return to a situation where political affiliation determines access to public facilities.

“It is one thing not to be a communist member or to dislike communism, but it is another thing to be anti-communism as if it is something that is not allowed,” he said.

Shingange accused the municipality of reflecting hostility towards the SACP whilst the ANC is the governing party in the area.

The Coastal could not determine why the hall was locked while a SACP rally was scheduled to take place in the hall.

The incident comes amid political tensions as the SACP prepares to contest elections independently, a move that has implications for its long-standing alliance with the ANC and COSATU.

Shingange said COSATU had resolved at its national congress to strengthen the alliance and build a militant workers’ movement committed to defending jobs, fighting imperialism and advancing socialism.

He argued that the SACP remained a critical partner in the struggle for workers’ rights and economic transformation.

“We want to go to socialism, and we will fight for it,” he said, adding that the struggle for socialism required patience and efforts to win broader public support.

Shingange outlined the kind of local government he wanted to see, saying municipalities should prioritise service delivery, accountability and the needs of working-class communities.

He said municipal funds earmarked for maintenance should be spent on maintaining infrastructure and improving services, while councillors should account directly to communities through public meetings.

He also called for the insourcing of outsourced services, including cleaning and security, and the permanent employment of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers.

According to Shingange, workers should receive fair wages and employment benefits, with their pay meeting the national minimum wage requirements.

He warned that COSATU would oppose municipalities that failed to prioritise workers and communities.

Shingange also addressed the SACP’s decision to contest elections, arguing that the move should not be treated as a betrayal of the liberation movement.

He said communist parties in other parts of the world participated in elections and that the SACP should not be singled out for making the same decision.

“The movement has fought for multiparty democracy. It cannot be that we hate the Communist Party and it is easier to work with racist political parties than the SACP,” he said.

He emphasised the SACP’s historical role in the liberation struggle, saying it had shared prisons and political struggles with other organisations that fought apartheid.

Shingange further cautioned the SACP against entering post-election coalitions with parties that support privatisation and outsourcing or oppose workers’ rights.

He said the party should consult its alliance partners before entering coalition agreements, warning that COSATU would not support arrangements with parties it regarded as hostile to organised labour.

He also criticised the composition of the Government of National Unity, saying COSATU had rejected the arrangement.

SACP Chris Hani regional secretary Lazola Pukwana told supporters that the party would contest all 108 wards in its electoral campaign, pledging to field councillors who would raise community concerns in council.

Pukwana said the rally was intended to mobilise support for the party and its vision of a municipality led by councillors accountable to residents.

He said communities should remain involved in local government decisions, arguing that residents must intervene when their elected representatives fail to secure the outcomes they expect in council.

“The leadership of the municipality stays with the people,” Pukwana said.

He also raised concerns about the employment conditions of municipal workers, alleging that some temporary workers had not absorbed in the permanent workforce, despite working for 15 years while earning about R3,500 a month.

Pukwana further alleged that some workers had gone five years without a salary increase, while people connected to those in power were being employed.

He called on workers and residents to use the upcoming elections to support the SACP, presenting the party as an alternative for those dissatisfied with municipal employment practices and service delivery.

Lonwabo Kowa, spokesperson of the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, did not respond to questions at the time of publishing this story.