THE public can now give a sigh of relief following the announcement by the SA Municipal Workers Union that it had suspended its national strike.

This follows and intervention by the ANC top brass. Yesterday Samwu officials said they suspended the strike after the ANC had made a commitment to look into its demands.

Samwu is demanding, among other things, an 18 percent pay increase; the protection of whistleblowers; the dumping of the municipality Amendment Bill; and the axing of Local Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka.

While timeous and politically astute, the ANC intervention can only create a slaving moment for the parties involved.

Samwu demands have far-reaching political and economic implications. As it is Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has warned that the government cannot meet the pay demands of SA's more than 1,3 million public servants.

The Municipal Amendment Bill seeks to depoliticise municipalities by prohibiting political office bearers at branch, regional and provincial levels from holding senior local government positions including municipal managers and committee heads.

Samwu contends its members - who are political office bearers - are being targeted. It believes that once passed into law, the bill will be used "to neutralise certain people".

These assertions raise serious questions about the power struggles within the ANC, SACP and Cosatu alliance. Such struggles are very difficult to resolve and normally have serious implications for the general populace.