ANC orders KZN secretary Mtolo to apologise for comments he made about NEHAWU

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) has ordered its KwaZulu-Natal secretary, Bheki Mtolo, to apologise for what its described as "misplaced" and "overboard" comments he made over the National, Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU). 

In July, during a public event, Mtolo accused NEHAWU workers of poor service delivery at public sector facilities.

Mtolo said the poor service and long queues at Home Affairs offices, clinics and SASSA facilities were primarily due to NEHAWU workers not doing their jobs properly. 

In a media briefing on Monday afternoon, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said that Mtolo had been ordered to retract the comments and apologise to the union. 

"Comrade Mtolo's remarks were unfortunate and the platform chosen to air such views fuelled the tensions rather than a constructive political engagement between members of the alliance. [We've] therefore resolved that comrade Bheki Mtolo, the provincial secretary of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, will issue an unconditional apology to NEHAWU and retract the unfortunate remarks he made."