A cry to revive putting the ear to the ground campaign Numsa’s National Executive Committee of February 2000 adopted the “Ear to the ground campaign”. This campaign was trying to re-connect with union membership by listening to their views. This would assist the organisation to develop clear programmes in response to these issues. It was also designed to improve service to members. I thought that this would be a continuous effort not just an event. I think the organisation must organise regional workers’ indaba and plant visits annually. In this way members can interact with the national leadership of the organisation.
These indaba will reinforce and complement the work of locals and regions. They will also inform the head office of challenges facing the organisation at the point of production or in a particular locality. When the Numsa president, Mtutuzeli Tom, addressed workers last year at Ford Engine plant Port Elizabeth , most were happy. Others said that it was “the first time since South Africa became a democratic country” that their president had visited their plant. Xolani TshayanaVolkswagen SA
ANC Madadeni branch chairperson and mayoral candidate Sam Mabanga was a distraught man when he was forced to leave the country’s major metalworkers union Numsa in Johannesburg and come to do what he likes most – paying visits, servicing, organizing workers and build the organisation in his remote rural hometown.
Mabanga’s major concern was that the streets were unkempt and that the water services were privatised and cut in the former Iscor hostel and some parts in the township by the ruling Inkatha Freedom Party.
Three years after his return home, he is certain to be elected as mayor of Newcastle and “get the good work done” when he replaces the IFP which is split by massive defections into the new National Democratic Convention (NADECO) .
Two days before the local elections, he waited patiently outside his modest home in the early drizzling morning with ANC posters and flags, to welcome his old-time comrades, who came to launch the local election blitz in his township. Those friends are none other than Numsa general secretary, Silumko Nondwangu and vice presidents Ben Khoza and Cedric Gina.
Numsa has launched an intensive election campaign to ensure the overwhelming victory of the ANC. This follows its congress resolution to provide support and resources for the election campaign.
The union has sponsored the local election campaign in all provinces, with the national leadership campaigning door to door in Kwazulu Natal.
Numsa 2 nd vice-president Cedric Gina who leads the election campaign in Kwazulu Natal was at pains to explain that workers should give the ANC a chance to advance the struggle for a better life for all, although the performance of some of the ANC councillors was not commendable.
“We acknowledge the fact that there were problems in the past, but we must continue to support the ANC candidates because most of them were trained and politicised to understand workers’ problems. Delivery of services did not go well in some places, that we know. But the ANC is not to blame because most of those municipalities were not under its control,” he said.
The ANC has resolved, Gina added, that it wanted only councillors who will deliver services to the communities not “spin doctoring tenders”.
He conceded, however, that the ANC branches were weak and that required the labour movement to take the responsibility of building the ANC.
Ben Khoza, 1 st vice-president of Numsa also warned that the labour movement will make those elected councillors account for non-delivery.
“We will not tolerate and support independent candidates who are hell-bent on fighting for glory and self-enrichment,” he said.