Shivambu congratulates Mashaba for working with EFF on insourcing of cleaners

At an event on Saturday, City of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba announced the planned insourcing of over 1,800 cleaners.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Floyd Shivambu voiced his approval over the move on Twitter. The City’s programme was reportedly devised through engagements with the EFF.

“Well done to the [EFF] Caucus in Johannesburg and Executive Mayor [Herman Mashaba] for insourcing cleaners for the City of Johannesburg. This is a true honour to mostly mothers who are the cornerstones of our lives. It’s steps in the right direction!” Shivambu wrote.

READ MORE: ANC ‘not ruling out working with EFF’ in motion against Mashaba

The City tweeted that the “insourcing of cleaning staff finally ends their exploitation”, also mentioning the significance of this taking place during Women’s Month.

“The City of Johannesburg ultimately plans to insource a total of 1, 879 cleaners – most of which are women, who will gain greatly from employee benefits such as pension, medical aid, and an increased take home salary,” the City said.

“Through this insourcing programme, the City is giving real dignity to workers who have been subjects of exploitation for decades.

The City also said the commissioner of oath attended this morning’s event to ensure the process was “credible”.

While the EFF made the decision to vote with the DA in certain municipalities, leading to them assisting the party in taking over key metros, such as Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane and Johannesburg, the relationship between the two parties has largely soured, with Malema saying his party’s policy moving forward would be to abstain from voting with either the DA or the ANC.

In Johannesburg, however, the EFF and the DA’s Mashaba-led local government still enjoy a good working relationship, due to decisions on the mayor’s part such as working with the party to insource workers.

While the ANC is attempting to remove Mashaba via a motion of no confidence, and said it would not rule out trying to gain the EFF’s support over this, the party has maintained their support for Mashaba, with Shivambu indicating on Twitter his party would not vote with the ANC.

READ MORE: ANC must go jump! says Shivambu on Mashaba motion

In announcing their decision to no longer vote with the DA, EFF leader Julius Malema said this was because the party did not agree to their request for an EFF mayor to be appointed in Tshwane.

The DA refuses to vote with us. We voted for them but now they won’t vote with us for Tshwane. We can’t keep voting for the DA when they cannot vote for us… It is done, it’s finished.”

However, the EFF still supports DA mayor Herman Mashaba’s leadership style in Johannesburg.

“Mashaba is a good guy… we even said we can have him as an EFF mayor, we do not mind. Maybe Mashaba is teaching us something… maybe our problems do not need politicians. Mashaba is not a politician, he does not take political attitudes, and it helps,” Malema said.

(Background reporting, ANA)

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