The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) condemns the cowardly attack of its Head Office (HQ) premises in Newtown, 153 Bree Street (Cnr Gerard Sekoto), not far away from the Gauteng’s artistic hub – the Market Theatre precinct, by unknown lawbreakers.

The attack happened during the early hours of this morning (Monday 13 May 2013).

We have already reported the matter to the South African Police Services (SAPS) and thorough investigation is underway and we hope the police will act swiftly in apprehending the perpetrators of this ridiculous deed to face the full might of the law.

The National Office Bearers (NOBs’), including our senior staff are shocked and devastated by this latest attack on our Head Office, which is a property built on workers meager wages and has become a revered home by many given our ideological consistency and principled posture on the many ongoing class battles faced by the workers and the poor in the modern day capitalist South Africa.

We find it very bizarre that 19 years to our democratic breakthrough, we have to deal with issues of safety on our properties, like we use to do during the apartheid years.

We will be beefing-up security in the interest of making sure that our Head Office is safe for our leaders, staff and for general members.

We hope this latest accident will awaken the police to act on the many cases we have reported to them without any response or progress. This includes reporting to SAPS and making a case that well-dressed young men entered our building and removed highly sensitive computers from our premises on more than one occasion.

Stealing of a Numsa owned vehicle in front of our building. Our trust in the investigative ability of SAPS is shaken.

Contact:

Castro Ngobese, National Spokesperson – +2781 011 1137