The National Office Bearers (NOBs’) of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) takes this opportunity to extend their goodwill, and wishes on behalf of our 311 000 membership to the Christian community in particular, and all South Africans in general, a joyous and blissful Easter Weekend.

This Easter Weekend comes at the backdrop of our country being confronted by a series of immoral and unprecedented incidents of rape and gender-based violence perpetuated against women and children.

These incidents of rape and gender-based violence against women and children are a reflection of deep-seated unequal and untransformed power relations in society, supplemented by a deepening crisis of unemployment, poverty and inequality faced by working class and poor, and the working class youth are at the receiving end of this capitalist brutality.

We urge our religious leaders to use this Easter season, as custodians of our moral compass, by joining the fight to eradicate rape and gender-based violence, mostly affecting the working class and poor communities.

During this period the working class and the poor will be on our country’s roads travelling to different destinations for worship festivities, whilst others will be going to visit their loved ones and families.

This period is synonymous with road carnage or fatalities. We have just witnessed a tragic bus accident in the Western Cape whereby close to 24 worshippers perished. Many lives are being lost in our public roads.

We call on road users, particularly Bus and Taxi operators not to risk the lives of commuters by using un-roadworthy buses and taxis, in pursuit of greedy profits or maximization of fare collections.

Contact:
Castro Ngobese
National Spokesperson
Mobile: +2781 011 1137
Tel (dir): +2711 689 1702
Twitter: @castrongobese