Total number of delegates was 326 from six locals: Port Elizabeth local, King Williams Town local, East London local, Queenstown local, Mthatha local AND Uitenhage local.

260 voted out of 326
64 did not vote
2 spoilt papers

Amongst the guest there was, YCL, SACP, COSATU and former office bearers the first Numsa President Daniel Dube and Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor {former EC region
General Secretary} Wayile.

Daniel Dube had a short message to the delegates, “Always remember the contribution that was made by those who were before you. And when you take decisions here it must not be about you, it must be about those after you, young man and young women, who are still at school, build this organisation for them”.

The newly elected General Secretary of Eastern Cape region, Phumzile Nodongwe addressed the fully packed NMMU campus hall.

“Our ANC government must know that the workers did not vote for labour brokers, privatisation of our roads and the freedom charter is the policy of the ANC.

During my term I ensure you that Numsa will grow and it will empower its members and capacitate staff of Numsa and building a strong gender structure. We will train our shop-stewards to understand their role to our membership”.

Eastern Cape treasurer

Ayanda Billie spoke to the newly elected office-bearer of Numsa about his journeys through the labour movement

Zama Silo, Numsa’s new Eastern Cape treasurer, was born 36 years ago, in 1976, in George.

He matriculated in 1994 and got involved in student politics at Vista University in 1997, and was elected to the SRC in 2002.

In 2004 he joined Volkswagen of South Africa in Uitenhage as an operator. He became a full-time shop-steward in 2009 and was involved last year’s negotiations.

He became a Numsa RFC member, and in 2012 was elected Eastern Cape regional treasurer.

“The only weapon we have against capitalism and exploitation is unity and the way to socialism is to fight corruption,” said a confident Silo with a smile.

Source

Numsa News