BUA time!From October 13 to 16 2008, close to 1000 Numsa delegates will gather from across the country to attend Numsa's 8th National Congress.The National Congress is Numsa's highest decision making body. It decides on Numsa's direction, it has the power to change current policy or make new policy.

The secretariat report to the congress is now out. It gives a detailed report of what has been achieved since the last congress, what we have failed to achieve, points to current topical issues around which the union has no policy and raises issues for debate by workers.

Shop stewards can get a copy of this draft from their local office. Ask your shop steward to call factory general meetings. Discuss issues which are close to your hearts! Help us to revise our policies and draft new policies that will change your life.

Khuluma sikuzwe!Kusukela mhla zi-13 kuya mhla zi-16 Okthoba 2008 izithunywa ezithi azibe yi-1 000 ezizobe ziqhamuka kulo lonke leli zizohlangana kwi-National Congress ye-Numsa okungeyesishiyagalombili.

Tshela i-shop steward yakho ukuthi ikutholele uMbiko KaNobhala ehhovisi eliseduze nawe. Cela futhi i-shop steward yakho ukuthi ibize imihlangano yabo bonke abasebenzi kuleyo femu osebenza kuyo. Bonisanani ngezinto ezisemqoka, enifuna zibhekelwe ngempela! Sicela usisize ekubuyekezeni imigomo yethu nasekusunguleni imigomo emisha ezokwazi ukuguqula impilo yakho.

Tyd om te praat!Vanaf 13 tot 16 Oktober 2008 sal omtrent 1000 Numsa-afgevaardigdes van regoor die land bymekaarkom om Numsa se 8ste Nasionale Kongres by te woon.Vra jou vloerbeampte om die voorlopige weergawe van die Sekretariaatverslag by jou naaste kantoor te kry.

Vra jou vloerbeampte om algemene vergaderings by jou werkplek te reël. Bespreek dié kwessies wat die naaste aan jou hart lê! Help ons om ons beleid te hersien, en om nuwe beleid op te stel wat jou lewe sal verander.

Ke nako ya ho hlahisa mantswe a lona!Ho tloha ka la 13 ho ya ho la 16 Mphalane 2008, baromuwa ba ka bang 1000 ba Numsa ba tla bokana ho tswa naheng ka bophara ho tla kenela Khonkrese ya bo-8 ya Naha ya Numsa.

E reng shopsteward to ya lona e le fumanele Raporoto ya Bongodi ho tswa ofising ya sebaka sa lona. Kopang shopsteward ya lona ho bitsa dikopano tse akaretsang tsa fekethering. Buang ka ditaba tse le amang maikutlo haholo! Re thuseng ho lekola botjha maano arona le ho hlahisa maano a matjha a tla fetola maphelo a lona.

Let the debate begin!

To whet your appetite for debate in the lead up to the Numsa congress, we are including the latest debate that took place through Numsa's e-mail. What do you think of these views – should Numsa introduce additional criteria for those wanting to apply for a bursary from the Numsa Mbuyiselo Ngwenda Bursary Fund? Should we open the fund to everyone in South Africa? Should we expand the careers covered?Write and tell us what you think, discuss in your workplace and get your shop steward to submit your ideas to the nearest Numsa local office.

If you have an e-mail and you would like to be included in Numsa's e-mail discussion list, send an e-mail to jennyg@numsa.org.zaNumsa bursaries – introduce criteria!Ellijah Madwara “Bo” Thamsanqa says that Numsa's bursary fund should only be open to those who are involved in YCL, ANCYL, Sasco and Cosas activities.

Once they have received the bursary, these students should sign a commitment to the alliance, continue their involvement in these organisations and attend twice yearly political schools run by Numsa. What do you think?

I wish to express my absolute gratitude and appreciation to Cosatu affiliated unions' skills development programmes, particularly the political education and the various bursaries that are provided for members and their dependants.

I wish to focus however on the latter, notwithstanding the fact that this initiative is “reformist”.My understanding is that education as a whole is the responsibility of the state.

However in the current socio-political conjuncture I think it is highly justifiable for our unions to take up initiatives such as these. These initiatives must however be (politically) guided.

I wish to propose that in line with our federation Cosatu’s political line of thought of rightfully and progressively aligning itself with the liberation alliance since 1985 that:* the involvement/activism in either YCL, ANCYL, Sasco and Cosas, be included in the criteria that a student must meet to qualify and be liable for a bursary from that particular workers' union eg Numsa * upon receiving the bursary, bursary holders should be made to:- sign a pledge/agreement or a commitment to the liberation alliance. – be obliged to participate in Sasco, ANCYL and YCL once successful applicants arrive on campus.

Given the extent to which Sasco is organised it should not be a problem to monitor this.- agree to participate in Cosatu’s 2 or 3 day political workshops, which should be co-ordinated twice a year at a regional level, after the end of every academic semester.

Recipients of any support from workers and the poor must be made to contribute in building workers' and progressive organisations' of the poor.If we fail to do this, we are in a situation where the continued feeding of our own monsters will go unchallenged and this will pose a direct threat on our revolution and our goals of attaining socialism, and ultimately communism.

To hope that university and technikon graduates will become loyal to our alliance and its respective organisations, simply because they received funding from them is highly imaginary and has on various occasions been proven to be unrealistic.

Given the current state of affairs in South Africa, particularly the comedy-showcase in the SABC, the open hostility of the mainstream media to our liberation alliance and its leaders, I think it is high time that ALL our unions consider supporting and funding journalism and media practice students as well.

In this way we’ll be nurturing revolutionary media practitioners whose responsibility should include a principled DEFENCE of our organisations and our revolution.Today more than ever before we need organic intellectuals who will (in collaboration with workers) interpret the “law”, “news”, “sport”, “current affairs” and society in general, using a MARXIST perspective.Ever onward to a Socialist world!Ellijah Madwara “Bo” Thamsanqa, Kwa-Langa, Uitenhage (ex-Numsa member, now student)

june 16

here we go come ongive me the mic raise thebassguitar moer the fcuken bongodrum tune in the acoustic violinamplify the trumpet & the flutedj gooi some rebellious afro souljazz hip-hop reggae beat…lets start thisshit…mr freedom fytah of yesterday has sold outin2 capitalism now i work like a slavefuck the system today we raging againstthe beast im spitting poison in2 this microphoneim so pissed off icould murder the presidentme & ma souljahs go to the junglecarrying AK-47 start a guerrilla warfarewith the help of chris hani steve biko che guevaratiro & many more we are sick & dead tiredof paying high prices 4 old food while the BEE catssmoke cigars & rape our sistaz who work in theirlavish houses so i fire bomb crush the motormanufacturing company i work fortired of making cars iwill neva driveso now imove to grahamstown cr8tan army come up with artistic projects:poetry & afro jazz drama & film whilejacking cash from the department of arts&culcha…see me on the advertising postah witma black fist raised punching thesky mouth spitting venom…st.solitudemonksoundsistm presents:rage against the beast live

sonwabo meyi

Bursary fund must be non-partisan!As much as we appreciate the compliment of this comrade, we must also realise that the federation can be aligned with the NDR but it must remain non-partisan because there are other workers who belong to other organisations.

How are we going to accommodate their dependants if we buy the idea?L C Bobani, VWSA Numsa ShopstewardNo to criteria! Let us not open a can worms. We are not going to allow this kind of situation to happen.

We must understand that a bursary is in a way to create a good future for ourselves as we are investing by giving our kids the chance to learn and be able to lead us after completion eg one could be a doctor, economist or a politician, or in the field of tourism etc.

Lastly, bear in mind that we are all active though we differ on activities we are doing in our organisation. The other area is that all those alliance have got their plans on how to take people with potential to some different courses. This issue must be discussed at the local level where members can also get a chance to say their views.

N.S Phasha, Barloworld Equipment shop steward.Let's remove restrictions on what students can study!Please note the matter is so relevant on why do we exist as a Union – in particular Numsa!The history of all existing society is the history of class struggle!

The most important part of our policy is that we do not restrict learners on what to study, but we believe in whatever career they pursue they must be able to make a change to better the lives of our society! Let us engage on the matter! Mosanku Phutase Tseki, Numsa Eskom Deployee

Let's open the bursaries to all who need irrespective of career!I would like to support the comrade’s idea of opening the Numsa Bursaries to all who need, irrespective of what career he/she would like to follow. Our dear children need to further their education, but we are unable to afford this as we are the poorest of the poor in this country. And not all of our children can do or qualify for engineering courses or be artisans.

Paul Moseki Mosehle,ZF Lemforder SA, Rosslyn, Shop-steward Where do you stand? Should Numsa bursary fund be opened to families of non-Numsa members?There is one NEC that talked about some form of integration of these young people into Numsa, what remains is the implementation that will hopefully happen very soon.

As for extending it outside Numsa families, a new debate will need to take place because the founding principles for the Numsa Investment Company was to accrue benefits for Numsa members and their families. The new application forms have been extended to skills that are scarce like LLB, encourage your kids to apply.Cedric Gina, Numsa second vice president

Recipients need workshopping!I want to support the suggestion that there must be some sort of workshopping of these candidates who benefit from the unions about the unions.

I will give an example where a candidate who found a job through Employment Equity/Affirmative action (EE/AA) for an HR post was himself opposed to EE/AA when it came time for him to make staff selection (employment).E.M. Maphela, Toyota shop steward, Durban

Masiqale ukudingida futhi senze nenkulumo-mpikiswano!Ucabangani ngale mibono? Maqondana nezicelo ezifakwa esikhwameni somfundaze, ngabe kufanele iNumsa ivumele kuphela labo abangamashoshozela e-YCL, ANCYL, Sasco ne-Cosas? Ngabe lesi sikhwama kufuneka sisivulele wonke umuntu waseNingizimu Afrika ofuna ukufaka isicelo?

Laat die debat begin!Wat dink jy van hierdie menings – behoort Numsa aansoeke vir die beursfonds te beperk tot diegene wat aktiviste van die Jong Kommunisteliga, ANC-Jeugliga, Sasco of Cosas is? Moet die fonds oopgestel word vir almal in Suid-Afrika?

Dingangisano ha di qale!Na le nahanang ka maikutlo ana – na Numsa e lokela ho beha moedi wa hore bakopi ba letlole la basari e be feela bao e leng baitseki ba YCL, ANCYL, Sasco le Cosas? Na re lokela ho bula letlole bakeng sa bohle mona Afrika Borwa?

Source

Numsa News