Leadership

NUM President
Dan Baipile

Daniel Goitsemodimo Balepile was born in Pampierstad, in the year 1966. He completed his matric at Kgomotso High School. Balepile started to work at Impala Mines in 1984. He joined the NUM in 1984, and he was subjected to the brutality of the then-Bophuthatswana regime for being an activist. He was part of the recruiters and participated in the 21 days strike of 1987.

In 1991 he was elected the Shaft Chairperson and ultimately the NUM Branch Chairperson of Impala North. In 1996 he was elected as the NUM Regional Chairperson of Rustenburg until 2006. He was Regional Chairperson when the NUM was attacked by the Mouthpiece. The NUM defeated the monster after several shop stewards were brutally killed through the barrel of the gun. He left employment with Impala and rejoined mine at Redpath mining as Shift Supervisor and was elected Branch Chairperson. In 2018 he was reelected as the NUM Regional Chairperson. He was then reelected in 2021. In 2022 NUM National Congress elected the NUM President.

NUM Deputy President
Phillip Vilakazi

Phillip Vilakazi was employed by Modikwa Platinum Mine as a Rock Drill Operator in 2003. It was in the same year in 2003 where he joined the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). In 2006, he was appointed as Community Liason Officer (CLO).

He became ANC branch chairperson in Hoepakrans village for five years. He also became NUM Modikwa Platinum Branch Secretary for four terms. In 2011, he was elected as the NUM North East Regional Chairperson and automatically became a PEC member of Cosatu in Limpopo. He was elected the Deputy President of the NUM during the 16th NUM National Congress held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg in June 2018. The Deputy President is actively involved in various community projects.

NUM Acting General Secretary
Mpho Phakedi

Comrade Mpho Phakedi started working in the mining industry in 1997.
He worked as a general worker and moved to various sections and
departments. He worked at Old Lorraine Mine; Winkelhak Mine;
Venterspost Mine. He became a shop steward in 1998, was elected in 1999 as the branch secretary and became full time until November 2008. In 2002, comrade Phakedi was elected as the PWV Regional Deputy Secretary of Education. Between 2005 and 2008 he served as both Deputy Chairperson and Chairperson of Goldfields mining House shop steward council. In November 2008 he became the Regional Secretary of the PWV region. He was elected as NUM Treasurer General at the 16th National Congress held at Birchwood Hotel from 20-22 June 2018.

In March-April 2022, comrade Mpho Phakedi was elected as the NUM Deputy General Secretary at the 17th NUM National Congress at Birchwood Hotel.

Comrade Phakedi says he is looking forward to rebuilding and growing this union of Mine, Energy, Construction and Metalworkers.

NUM Acting Deputy General Secretary
Phillip Mankge

NUM TREASURER GENERAL
Helen Diatile

Helen Diatile joined NUM in 1996 and was elected as a shop steward for Eskom in Soweto, Diepkloof in the same year.
 
She became a branch educator in 1997 and was co-opted as regional secretary for education in the PWV region.
 
In 1998, she was elected as the PWV Regional Secretary for Education.

In 1999, she was co-opted as regional chair for education and in 2000, co-opted as the regional treasurer.
 
In 2006, she was elected as the NUM National Education Chairperson until to date. In 2015, Diatile was re-elected again as the NUM National Education Chairperson at the NUM 15th National Congress held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. In June 2018, she was re-elected again as the NUM National Education Chairperson at the NUM 16th National Congress held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. In March-April 2022, comrade Helen Diatile was elected as the NUM Treasurer General at the 17th National Congress at Birchwood Hotel.

NUM Health and Safety National Chairperson
Duncan Luvuno

Duncan Luvuno was NUM deputy branch Secretary at Kriel Power Station between 2006 and 2009. In between, he also acted as branch secretary. He took over the position of branch secretary in 2010 until 2012. In 2013, he was elected deputy branch chairperson. During the period, he also served as Highveld Regional Youth Structure Chairperson. He assumed the responsibility of being a branch chairperson from 2013 to 2015 and re-elected Highveld Regional Youth Structure Chairperson.

In the same period, he was elected a National Youth Structure Chairperson. He was elected as NUM National Chairperson Health & Safety at the 16th National Congress held at Birchwood hotel from the 20-22 June 2018.