ANC orders Bheki Mtolo to apologise to Nehawu

This comes after Mtolo made comments in a recent public address, blaming the union’s members for most of the troubles plaguing the civil service in the province.

After he failed to apologise for his remarks, Nehawu, who is an affiliate of the ANC's alliance partner Cosatu, decided to sue the ANC and Mtolo for R2 million.

Briefing the media on Monday, the party's secretary general, Fikile Mbalula, said the two parties met and decided to resolve the matter.

"This morning, we convened a meeting to address the challenges that have polarised relations between the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union and to put the matter to bed,” Mbalula said at a press conference on Monday.

“The meeting was cordial, robust and honest in the articulation of the impact of Comrade Mtolo’s remarks on members of Nehawu. In our robust engagements on matters of mutual interest, we agreed that members of the alliance, and by extension their affiliates, are independent organisations that are well within their rights in expressing dissenting views on the policy positions and decisions of the ANC.

“However, the alliance partners have always differed on a variety of issues, and we have always managed to engage on issues by ensuring that the space for political engagements remains open. There is no reason that we cannot address the current challenges in a similar manner," he said.

Mbalula said Nehawu has also agreed to withdraw the court challenge.

"The meeting appreciated that Comrade Mtolo’s remarks were unfortunate and that the platform chosen to air such views fuelled the tensions rather than a constructive political engagement between members of the alliance.

“We therefore resolved that Comrade Mtolo will issue an unconditional apology to Nehawu and retract the unfortunate remarks he made.”

ALSO READ