LETTERS

Dear Numsa NewsI'm a male comrade from the Eastern Cape Region and part of the Gender Regional Office Bearers.I want to raise a few issues in relation to the National Gender Political School that we had last year.

In Numsa News No 5 of September 2007 you publicised this school but I want to appeal that issues relating to gender must in future be put on the front pages.

One understands that there is a company that Numsa uses for the news, but my appeal is that you speak to them to address this matter.

To me this notion will mean that Numsa as an organisation is taking the issue of gender as a matter of priority.

To move further I would like to congratulate both female and male comrades for their participation in the political school.

I'm raising this because the discussions and debates were not dominated by a particular gender.

One thing that one appreciates is the fact that for some comrades it was their first time to attend such a gathering but they were so brave in raising issues that affect both women and men.

It was very clear in the political school that the issue of gender is not only affecting females but males as well. It was also evident that Numsa as an organisation is still faced with a huge challenge of fighting patriarchy.

I'm raising this because some of the male worker leaders still don't want to accept that females are also capable of doing the work of the organisation. But all is not lost.

I think the organisation needs to continue to educate those comrades who do not understand what our national democratic revolution entails.

One must applaud Numsa as an organisation for taking gender issues very seriously.

I want to appeal to all regions and locals to drive the gender programme in 2008 especially the male comrades.

Those who were part of the national gender political school must not forget to cascade down the information that they have received to the masses on the ground.

I also want to thank all the national office bearers – those who were present and those that were absent from the gender school.

If the leadership is driving the ship, the campus cannot lead us in the wrong direction.

Also this sends a challenge to the regional and local leadership that they need to play a leading role when it comes to gender issues.

I need not forget the work done by all the comrades at the workshop including the ex-Numsa gender activists.

I'm hoping that we will all of us fight the challenges of 2008.Yours in struggleAce Gqabi [VWSA – Eastern Cape region]

Dear comradeThanks for your letter. No outside company has control over the order of the pages – Numsa has that control – your point is noted! We will make sure that gender leads from the front of Numsa News in future!Editor.

Dear Numsa NewsI am alarming the bell to wake up all workers of South Africa.

I am also reminding all workers of South Africa to remember where we come from.

Our democracy is still young to forget exploitation, abuse and oppression that were driven by the apartheid government towards workers until South Africans formed the organisation known as the ANC to fight against the white government.

When the members of the ANC mobilised during apartheid, people were convicted and some of them were even killed by the oppressors trying to stop the liberation movement.

But they failed to stop the ANC struggle until April 27 1994. During the white government blacks were more exploited, more abused and more oppressed by the bourgeoisie but there was favouritism towards Indians and coloured – they were getting better positions and better wages than the blacks.

Few of them were in the struggle of the ANC and the SACP.After April 27 1994 and after the ANC won the elections, the democratic government started to implement changes like free education, affirmative action, equality, better life for all and better living for all.

Comrades let's fight for our safety at the workplace. Comrades let's fight for future generations because if we let the capitalists exploit our comrades by being casualised and abused by labour brokers, in a few years to come there will be no more permanent jobs, no more workers' rights.

Please comrades let's stop being opportunists and being puppets of management showing our hunger that pushes us to be the slaves of capital.

Let's stop dying hard digging friendship from whites and Indians so that we could get overtime and better positions.

So comrades we must cogitate and scrutinise when we elect the leadership that would lead the workers' revolutionary movement.

Let's surely not elect prevaricators, dictators because s/he will prevaricate and dictate our struggle. We must be more cohesive.

We must not open a loophole where our enemy will find us vulnerable. We must not elect a leader that has never been in the ANC alliance because he knows nothing about the struggle.

Before I pens down, I would like to ask all of you comrades, let's be united and committed in the struggle.

I salute comrade Chris Usithembisile HaniI salute comrade Nelson Rolihlala MandelaI salute comrade Jacob Mhlanganyelwa ZumaI salute you all. Forward Jacob Zuma forward.

Long live the spirit of comrade Chris Hani long live. Forward JZ forward. Aluta Numsa aluta!Bhekie G Dzanibe, Dunlop KZN

Dear Numsa NewsMinister Membathisi Mdladlana has been granted R600 million for skills and development training to all Setas with the aim of upgrading workers, but still that money is not doing the job it is supposed to do.

My request is that we must go forward with education levels and get rid of those who wanted to fill up their pockets but who are not doing the job that they have been given.Bhekie G Dzanibe, Dunlop, KZN

Source

Numsa News