(en) African Anarchist Collective Tokologo #3 - Cosatu used to pump millions of rands to support the ANC's election campaigns By MZEE (TAAC)

At the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (Cosatu) media brie ing on Thursday 21 
November 2013, its president Sdumo Dlamini told a journalist that the federation is "yet 
to decide" whether or not to contribute inancially toward the ANC's 2014 election 
campaign. The brie ing followed a Cosatu central executive committee (CEC) meeting. ---- 
But according to the Cosatu treasurer's report, Cosatu budgeted R8 million for the 2014 
ANC election campaign! ---- There seems to be disagreement between Cosatu af iliates over 
why the federation uses its members' subscription fees to bankroll the ANC's election 
campaign, while on the other hand pleading poverty when it comes to organising its own 
special national congress - as has been demanded by a majority of af iliates. Dlamini has 
used the issue of a lack of funds to put the special congress off. Dlamini also suspended 
Cosatu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi in 2013.

The National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) led the call for a special congress to discuss 
Cosatu policies and elect a new CEC. NUMSA has also publicly stated that it will withhold 
its R2 million contribution to the ANC's campaign. Its treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo.said that 
"During previous elections, we would go to a company employing our members and get 8000 
workers to vote for the ANC. We thought the ANC would have realised by now that our 
contribution is key."

NUMSA feels the ANC has abandoned workers. It has been at loggerheads with the ruling 
party for implementing the neo-liberal National Development Plan (NDP), for e-tolling the 
roads and for planning a so-called youth wage subsidy.