- MAWUSA says Public Employment Programmes trap workers in poverty and pay less than R1,100 a month while government officials earn millions.
- The union now rejects all political parties and promises to "shut the country down" if the government ignores their demands for fair wages and basic rights.
The Maanda Ashu Workers Union of South Africa (MAWUSA) has announced it will no longer support any political party, accusing the government of being the worst exploiter of poor workers in the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Johannesburg on 1 December, MAWUSA president Robert Nwedo said the union had been forced to take a new path after years of being ignored by politicians from all sides.
He said poor workers, especially those in Public Employment Programmes (PEPs), are treated like "modern-day slaves" by the state, working for less than R1,100 a month while being banned from earning anything extra.
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Nwedo said some of these workers are unlawfully fired without warning, including more than 50,000 older workers who were terminated by a director-general earning over R1.7-million a year.
According to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group, the cost of a basic food basket has now risen to R5,420.30. This means many PEP workers earn only one-fifth of what they need to survive.
"The government, which is meant to protect the law, has become the biggest law-breaker," said Nwedo.
He slammed politicians for using workers as "stepping stones" to gain power and said even President Cyril Ramaphosa, once a union leader, has failed the people who helped put him in office.
MAWUSA said it had tried to work with political parties, including the African National Congress and newer groups like the MK Party and Africa Mayibuye Movement, but none had shown real interest in fighting for workers.
The union will now operate independently and focus on demanding permanent jobs, safe working conditions, and wages that are enough to live on. "From today forward, our voice belongs only to our members," said Nwedo.
MAWUSA also raised concern about employers who hire undocumented foreign nationals to pay them below the legal wage, leaving South Africans, especially those over 35, with no chance of finding work.
The union said it supports the law but wants it enforced fairly. It called for foreign nationals to be hired only when they have critical skills the country lacks.
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MAWUSA ended its briefing with a warning: if the government continues to ignore their demands, they will take to the streets and "shut the country down". "The era of begging politicians is over. Now we fight on our own terms," said Nwedo.
