Ayanda Billie spoke to the newly elected National office-bearer of Numsa about his journey through the labour movement Mphumzi Maqungo, the newly elected Numsa national treasurer, was born during the years of teargas and bullets in 1975 in Port Elizabeth, at time when “mellow yellows” and Caspers were a common sight.

Mphumzi started to work at General Motors of South Africa as an operator in 1996 and began to take an interest in labour issues.

He became a part-time shop-steward in 1999 and was elected a full-time steward in 2000, a position he still holds.

He became a Numsa regional finance committee (RFC) member in 2003 and in 2004 was elected Numsa Eastern Cape regional treasurer, a position to which he was re-elected in 2008.

He has relinquished this post now that he has been elected national treasurer.

Mphumzi’s message to workers is: “Nothing can beat unity among us. What makes a strong union is membership and when the members understand their constitution.

Members must also be able to debate and engage each other constructively.”

Source

Numsa News