Numsa Western Cape General-Secretary believes the union holding national congress is in contempt of court

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s (Numsa) General-Secretary in the Western Cape, Vuyo Lufele, says their region believes that the union is in contempt of court for not fully complying with a court order that was handed down by the Labour Court in Johannesburg.

The union’s 11th national congress kicked off in Cape Town on Wednesday, despite a court interdict, which stated that the congress should only be allowed to proceed, if Numsa complies with its own constitution.

Lufele led the Western Cape’s walk-out of the congress.

He says the conditions of the congress do not comply with the ruling, because another region, Mpumalanga, was not allowed to participate in the congress.

“We’ve got a region that was placed under administration, Mpumalanga. If they comply fully, Mpumalanga must be part of this congress. It’s not part of this congress, then why do you this, it’s contempt of court.” Lufefe adds.

Contempt of court

Numsa veteran Phutas Tseki says the decision to proceed with the congress is in contempt of court.

“In the ruling of the Labour Court, we are still not sure what could have been the decision that made Numsa to continue with the congress. Particular on what we have raised as veterans that what Numsa has done is unprecedented and is actually eroding the internal democracy that Numsa is known for,” adds Tseki.

SAfm First Take’s Elvis Presslin spoke to Numsa veteran Phutas Tseki:

Mpumalanga is dysfunctional

Numsa says it excluded Mpumalanga from participating in it’s national conference in Cape Town, because the region is dysfunctional.

Numsa national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says Mpumalanga failed to elect regional leaders in time for the congress.

“That judge made a ruling that Numsa has no right as an organisation as the CC to put Mpumalanga under administration. That is a big bone of contention for us. Mpumalanga as a region is dysfunctional. They had two regional congresses which they collapsed. The only structures that are in a national congress are structures that have had a regional congress, they have a new leadership and that leadership is now here. So how do you allow a structure with no leadership to participate here, when the constitution doesn’t allow it.”