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19 August, 2009
In May 2007, thousands of metalworkers across South Africa
celebrated 20 years of struggle and achievement of NUMSA at
mass rallies organized in several provinces.
Founded in May 1987, Numsa leaders paid tribute to shop stewards and metalworkers from the Metal and Allied Workers Union (Mawu), as well as unions like the Motor Industries Combined Workers Union (Micwu) and the automobile unions that came together under the auspices of the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) to form a single, united metalworkers union in the country.
Past and present shop stewards and members graced the podium to recall historic moments in the union's history. At the Johannesburg celebrations, NUMSA remembered its member, Kortman Vilakazi from Tembisa, who in that very stadium was shot dead by police at a Numsa wage negotiations rally in the 1980s. "The police came and started to provoke members outside the stadium," remembers ex-Numsa member, Alpheus Makhadi who is now a councillor. "When members ran away, the police shot at them." Vilakazi was shot dead. And just down the road from the stadium was Joko Tea hall (now a supermarket) where the first union meetings that nurtured worker control, local shop steward councils and strong shop floor structures that gave rise to Numsa, took place.
While tributes poured in to honour past heroes of the union, NUMSA also celebrated 20 years of struggle and spoke of milestones in South Africa from the 1980s apartheid period to the challenges faced by the country in the new millennium and NUMSA's proactive and reactive actions in response to the political, social and economic climate and developments in the metal sector. Trade union leaders also spoke of the future and the need for a strong and vigilant union. Cosatu's general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi in his address at the celebrations in Port Elizabeth urged workers to remain united and play a leading role in all corners of society and in the fight against poverty.
But the events were not all about speeches and struggle, local artists performed for the crowds keeping everyone in high spirits. The events were colourful, the crowd was dressed in NUMSA colours of black red and yellow carrying flags bearing the unions logo. Shouts of Amandla! echoed through while others blew on their vuvuzelas. Fallen heroes can rest assured that Numsa members celebrated their history that day!
Constructed from reports by NUMSA reporters, Woody Aroun, Mating Mosia, Jenny Grice and Mncedisi Phaphu.