“Bringing workers together in large industrial unions meant uniting people who were racially, ethnically and regionally divided across urban and rural areas and bantustans,” Kally Forrest writes in her book The Metal that will not Bend.
Delegates at Numsa’s recent national conference were living evidence of this diversity. They expressed their feelings about the Congress in many of South Africa’s official languages:
Sibongile Mnisi, an employee in Mandlakazi Electrical Technology and a shop steward in Ehlanzeni Local, Mpumalanga Region, had the following to say in SiSwati:
“Njenge Mpumalanga Region sitsi i congress lebeyi banjelwe e Durban isi fundzise lokunyenti mayelana ne mnotfo wetfu lesa tsatselwa sive lesimnyama.
Saya kulabamhlophe, siyi Mpumalanga sibonga mavi lashiwo ye President yetfu Jacob Zuma, uma atsi kufanele sigibele le bansi lekungutsi kufanele natsi sibekhona kugovernment yethu lekuyi ANC.
Njengebasebenti sitokhona kufezatidzingo teba sebenti ngobe uma sihleti angeke sikhone kutsi tidzingotetfu-nje ngebasebenti titsatfwelwe enhloko. Sibonga baphatsi betfu base Mpumalanga ngekusifikisa kulelizi.”
Dorothy Masuku, an employee in Wispeco and a shop steward in Ladlokova Local in Ekurhuleni Region, related her experience in Tsonga:
“Leswi mina ndzi swi rhandza kahi local (Ladlokova) the unity and respect hinga na yona. Nndzi thlela ndzi buma bumela vurhangeri bya hina. Le byi byi hi thlohletelanga ku twanana na ku hloniphana e localing yita tshama yi ri xithlangu xa vutomi ni Economy le yi tiyeke e ka mina.
Viva Ladlokova Viva!”
George Mhana, an employee in Atlas Copco and a Chairman in Dan Kubheka Local, Ekurhuleni, gave his view in Xhosa:
“Ikhongolose yi-palamente labasebenzi. Kuyicapho kuhlangene amalunga onke abasebenzi, bebuya ezindaweni ezahlukene, ezimbonini ezahlukene, kanye nezinkokheli zabo kuthethwa ngezingxaki zabasebenzi ezimbonini.
Kuthathwa iziqibu ngezinto inhlanganiso okumele zenziwe ukuze abasebenzi, baneliseke. Konyulwa izinkokheli ezizakuphatha inhlangano, zenze ukuba zonke izigqibo ziyaphumelela abasebenzi bayavuya ngalo lonke ixesha.”
Joseph Nemalegeni is employed in Bridge Motors in Thohoyandou, based in the Great North Local and serves as deputy regional chairperson in the region of Hlanganani. He spoke of his experience of the congress in Venda:
“Nzulele ya vhudipfi hanga ha buthano la lushaka la vhashumi ndi ya u ri heli buthano li sumba li la maimo a ntha vhukuma ro sedza hezwi zwidodombedzwa: Madzingu othe a tahe a vhashumi o dzhenelela ili buthano hu si na u kundelwa; madzangano a vhashumi vha mashango-davha o bva nga vhunzhi u da u tikedza ili buthano; khetho dza vharangaphanda dzo tshimbila zwavhudi vhukuma; vhashumi vho ambara zwiambaro zwa madzanga, vha imba nyimbo vhothe vha dovha hafhu u dzhenelela kha nyambedzano dza tsheo dzothe.
Vhashumi vho namedzwa bufho u da buthanoni la vhashumi la lushaka.”
Sylvia Mthembu is an employee in BP Sheffield and a shop steward in the RT Manesana local, J C Bez Region. She related her experience in Zulu:
“Ukubakhona Inqunquthela kwenze Omkhulu umehluko Ikakhulu omama nobudlelwane obuyisiqi esihle emkhandlini wensimbi Ayigobi.
Ngizoguzelela uqhozi kamama ngempumelelo yokwazi imikhakha ebalukile nge conference namandla obuhlakani kwaMaqabani okubonisa okuzimisela netshiseko kukubaluleka kwe nqunquthela yakwa Numsa.”
Ndinisa Nomthandazo who is employed in Stutierheim Delta, and a shop steward in King Williams town in the Eastern Cape Region, related her experience in Xhosa:
“Into endiyithandileyo sispeech sikamongameli wesizwe u cde Jacob Zuma xa ebesithi masingakhalazi xa sibona uba ibus ayiyi apho sifuna khona masikhwele ebasini sithathe isidrive ngoba ukukhalaza akuncedi. Inumsa mayingaphathisi imali yayo ngabanye abantu ngoba ihambe isiwe apha endleleni ithi ifika apho iya khona ibe ingaphelelanga (Blade Nzimande).
Working class mayingashiyeki mayingene nayo kwileadership ngoba abantu abakhokelayo abanevelwano yiworking class.”
S’fiso Ndlovu, an employee in Eskom Transmission and a shop steward in Pinetown Local, Kwazulu-Natal, said:
“I’m a new shop steward.
I’ve learnt how to engage and debate issues with other regions. I’ve also heard how international unions view certain sensitive matters.
I gained lot of important information from respectable people such as the president of the country, Mr Jacob Zuma, together with other ministers from the government. My first time at the congress has been an eye-opener to me in many ways.”
Source
Numsa News