South Africa's Biggest Trade Union NUMSA Withdraws Support For ANC

South Africa's biggest trade union NUMSA has announced that it is withdrawing its support for the ANC ahead of next year's election - a big blow to the governing party

The 330,000-member National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said it would not endorse any party


"It is clear that the working class cannot any longer see the ANC or the SACP as its class allies in any meaningful sense," said Numsa leader Irvin Jim
He said the union would explore the possibility of setting up a new, socialist party.

NUMSA is the biggest block in the COSATU labour grouping that is itself part of a formal three-way governing alliance with the ANC that also includes the Communist Party (SACP).

.NUMSA’s decision could hurt the ANC by depriving it of a formidable campaigning machine for the 101-year-old former liberation movement, which has struggled to adapt to being in political power.