BACK TO BASICS

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) convened its ordinary National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at Elijah Barayi Memorial Training Centre in Midrand on the 13th September 2022.

This NEC meeting dealt with a number of issues internally as well as challenges facing the Organisation from the outside.

Amongst the critical issues discussed was the unfolding development regarding the continued employment of the foreign Nationals in South Africa and the approach adopted by both the Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Employment and Labour on the matter.

The NUM argument is that the current foreign Nationals in the South Africa‘s workplaces should not be affected by these new developments.

The NUM is disturbed by the developments in the Mining Companies where the foreign Nationals workers employment is not renewed when they return from annual leaves and are meeting resistance at the Foreign Affairs offices to renew their work permits.

The Leadership of the NUM will soon approach the responsible departments in Government to raise its dissatisfaction and understanding on this matter and the challenges foreigners have when they claim UIF.

THE NUM 40TH Anniversary Celebration in Limpopo:

The NUM is turning 40 years in December this year and is busy preparing itself for this historic celebration of achievements.

Established in 1982 in Klerksdorp, now known as Matlosana, the NUM has throughout the years been the only voice of the voiceless workers in the mining, construction, energy and metal sectors.

The NUM had since survived the storms and all kinds of weather and came out more as a united and wiser trade union with clarity of purpose. The NUM’s history is a history of class war decorated with victories born from the brave struggle of the working class.

Its history began when Cyril Ramaphosa, a young and newly graduated legal officer with the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) was assigned a task of forming a black mineworkers union in July 1982.

The eleven regions of the NUM are currently holding their build – up activity celebrations commencing with North East Region this week, the 17th September 2022 at   Lulekani stadium in Phalaborwa, Limpopo. The other ten NUM regions are set to follow with dates to be announced.

The NUM National Celebration, in which all former NUM leaders will be in attendance, will be held in the same North East Region of the NUM in Limpopo’s Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on the 4th December 2022.

COSATU 14th National Congress

The NUM NEC expressed its best wishes to the upcoming 14th COSATU National Congress which is set to take place in two weeks’ time. COSATU will be conducting its 14th elective National Congress on the 26 to the 29th of September 2022 and the NUM is getting itself ready to fully participate and contribute meaningfully in the Congress of the Federation.

As usual, the NUM expects the Congress to be robust in its discussions. Our believe is that the federation has, time and again, reaffirmed its commitment to its core founding principles of uniting the working class, and it is continuing to be preoccupied with the immediate concerns of workers and also remains a social force for transformation.

Put people before profit - The Jagersfontein tailing dam disaster, a crisis of capitalist accumulation.

The National Union of Mineworker’s National Executive Committee discussed and analysed the Jagersfontein tailing dam disaster and characterised it as a crisis of capitalist accumulation, logic of putting profits before the people.

The NUM therefore condemns such logic as inhuman, unjust and barbaric. Thus we argued that mine bosses were negligent and reckless and thus they must take full responsibility for the total damage caused by the tailing dam disaster.

Importantly, mine bosses were made aware about the threat the tailing dam posed on the workers, the community and the environment.

Against this background, the NUM calls for the judicial commission of inquiry to probe the basis for the incident, whether was there any compliance with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy Guidelines for the compilation of a mandatory Code of Practice on Mine Residue Deposit as issued on 30 November 2000 and made effective on 31 May 2001   and prosecute those found to have been responsible.

Whilst the mine company bosses have already publicly accepted responsibility, we call for harsher consequences post the inquiry-money cannot buy people’s lives!!

Further, for all to know, in recorded history, the Jagersfontein tailing dam disaster follows that of the Merriespruit tailing disaster of February 1994 (which took place twenty-eight years ago from now) in Virginia, Free State.

In this incident, about seventeen people died, houses damaged and indeed widespread devastation and environmental damages.

Therefore, mine bosses cannot be left unchallenged whilst our people suffer and die as a result of capitalist greed.

Furthermore, the NUM warmly welcomes the government’s speedy intervention as led by the President and all relevant Ministers.

The NUM working with the federation, civil society and the alliance will monitor the commitment made by the government and challenge any failure to meet such commitments.

For more information, please contact:

William Mabapa, NUM General Secretary, 082 880 4439
Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 083 809 325

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167