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South African Strike Could Affect Next Presidential Race

   Joe DeCapua 03 September 2010

   In South Africa, the public service workers strike continues following
   union  rejection  earlier  this  week  of  the  latest government wage
   offer.   However,  thereâs  much going on behind the scenes, not only
   about  a  pay  hike,  but  also about political maneuvering within the
   ruling  party  and trade unions.  The outcome could play a major role
   in whether Jacob Zuma has another term as South African president.

   What next?

   VOA  reporter  Delia  Robertson, in Johannesburg, says on the surface,
   attention is focused on the next round of negotiations.

   âAt  the  moment,  no  further meetings between the government and the
   public servants unions are expected until Monday.  One of the largest
   unions,   which  represents  health  workers,  has  said  it  is  busy
   explaining  the  finer  points of the government offer to its members,
   suggesting  perhaps  that  itâs  looking  for  ways  to reconsider its
   rejection of the government offer,â she says.

   Pay and politics

   While  the  government  and  union workers differ on the size of a pay
   hike,  others  are  weighing how the walkout can be used for political
   gain. 

   Robertson  says  there are âpolitical elements to the strike, âadding,
   âThese relate specifically to power struggles within the ruling party,
   the  African  National Congress (ANC), and issues around who will lead
   the  party  in  the future and difficulties among the various factions
   within  the party and the partyâs alliance partners.â  Those partners
   include the powerful trade unions.

   This  time  of  year  is  typically  considered South Africaâs âstrike
   season.â   But  this  time  itâs  particularly  stormy,  with between
   500,000 and one million workers on strike.

   Robertson  says  the difficulty in finding a resolution âcomes back, I
   think,  in  a measure at least, to these factional disputes within the
   ruling   alliance.    There  are  peopleâ¦who  are  working  towards
   removing Jacob Zuma as president of the ANC and of the government come
   2012, 2013.â

   Later this month, the ANC holds its mid-term meeting in Durban.

   âThere  [are]  a  lot  ofâ¦factions  putting  themselves  in  kind  of
   positions  as  to where theyâre going to vote and who theyâre going to
   support at this meeting,â she says.

   Itâs  politics  at  the  highest  level,  she  says, âand pressure for
   power.â

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