Rewarding stalwarts of this Union!
Phineas Khoza with his certificate
On June 28, regional office bearers from the Wits Central West region handed out certificates to the stalwarts of the Kempton Park local."It was a different time then during the State of Emergency," remembers just one of them Phineas Khoza, now a shop steward at HH Robertsons, Isando.
"I joined Mawu in 1986. I remember the union office was in Tembisa. Comrade Moss* was arrested, we still had shop steward councils but it was very difficult to meet regularly.
A lot of comrades were arrested, some were detained by the government."Khoza believes there is a "lot of progress now". Then it was difficult to persuade workers to become shop stewards because of the victimisation and intimidation.
"Now everyone wants to be shop stewards," he says, a situation that has created its own problems. He wants Numsa to address the discipline of shop stewards – "shop stewards need to be disciplined to ensure they attend enquiries and hearings to defend workers.
"Numsa salutes the many hundreds and thousands of comrades like Khoza who have built this Union into what it is today. And we rely on them to pass on their knowledge and institutional memory to young workers that come after them.
Keep Numsa in check and close to its founding principles of worker control, worker solidarity and democracy in all structures.
*Moss Mayekiso was the general secretary of Mawu – one of the founding unions of Numsa
Pick up your certificate from your local
If you filled in the form in Numsa News last year requesting a certificate for more than 10 years service in Numsa, your certificate should be at your Numsa local.
Congratulations to you all – it is because of you that Numsa is as strong as it is today. If you didn’t fill in the form last year and send it, we regret you 'missed the boat' – we can no longer give you one!
Administrators – watching the baby Numsa reach adulthood!
Eastern Cape administrators – six of them have been with Numsa since it was formed G Fataar
In almost all Numsa's nine regions (at locals and regional offices) and head office you will find women who have spent more than half their lives servicing Numsa members.
They have watched the baby Numsa being conceived, being born and reaching adulthood!In Head Office Thembi Nabe, now Numsa's travel bookings coordinator, was once a shop steward and the general secretary of the Metal and Allied Workers Union.
Rajis Moodley and Vanessa Smith in KZN region worked for Micwu before it merged to form Numsa.
Thandi Mevana, administrator in the eThekweni local was once a Fosatu administrator – the federation that preceded Cosatu! She can remember the time when organisers worked in 'bathrooms' at Central Court in Gale Street in Durban.
The Eastern Cape region has six administrators who have nurtured Numsa since it was conceived! Take time to give thanks to all the administrators listed in the box below – without them the institutional memory of Numsa would be gone long ago.Viva Numsa administrators viva!
Administrators who worked for Numsa's founding unions before moving to Numsa
Albertina Matiwane, Cecily Scheepers, Sandra Arendse, Bernice Mayo, Nomfusi Dyakopu, Gairo Nisa Abrahams, Sibongile Nkosi, Thokozile Rampai, Vuyelwa Xipu, Lisa Makalela (now an organiser), Thembi Nabe, Thandi Mevana, Vanessa Smith, Rajis Moodley, Nonyaniso Buthelezi, Tshidi Matsimela, Denise Fester, Diana Lombard, Nomsa Mbingeleli, Cecilia Malope, Paulina Mohale
Head Office opening in picturesNumsa Central Committee delegates and other dignitaries were present at the end of July to open the revamped and extended Numsa head office.
Source
Numsa News