The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has suspended several regional leaders after they convened an unauthorized central committee meeting and replaced national office-bearers with a task team. The move was announced by Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim during a media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday. According to Jim, the regional leaders' actions constituted gross misconduct and posed serious reputational damage to Numsa.
The suspended regional leaders, including Andile Bloko, Nkosinathi Makhanya, and Andile Nqilingwane, had defied Jim's instruction to cancel a meeting scheduled for October 23-25. The meeting was cancelled following a labour court ruling that prevented Numsa from barring delegates from Mpumalanga from attending committee meetings. At the unauthorized meeting, the regional leaders resolved to strip national office-bearers of their delegated powers and functions.
Jim criticized the regional leaders and staff members, including Mncedisi Kwababa, Mziyanda Twani, Mzamo Khoza, and Collen Mahlangu, for causing "havoc in the organisation". He stated that the national executive committee (NEC) had called for swift disciplinary action against them. The suspended leaders will be served with letters of suspension, and disciplinary measures will be taken against both staff members and office-bearers.
The NEC unanimously rejected the unauthorized central committee meeting and its decisions, labelling it "bogus" since those present did not carry fresh mandates from properly functioning regional executive committees. Jim emphasized that the national office-bearers remain democratically elected leaders unless removed through a constitutionally empowered process.
However, Makhanya, the Numsa Mpumalanga regional chair, disputed Jim's claims, stating that their NEC did not quorate and that they would address the announcements made during Jim's briefing at their own NEC meeting. Makhanya claimed that the national office-bearers had been stripped of their powers.
Numsa president Andrew Chirwa suggested that the national office-bearers were targeted in connection with the dismissal of Khandani Msibi as the Numsa Investment Company CEO. Msibi had been at odds with Jim and had challenged the union to convene its central committee to explain his ownership of a 60% stake in the union's investment company.
Jim alleged that there were serious allegations of theft and looting of union assets, and that Numsa was facing a "Khandani Msibi brigade" working with external forces to liquidate the leadership and turn the union into a "plaything of interests that have no record of service to metalworkers". The suspensions mark a significant escalation in the power struggle within Numsa.
Key points
- Numsa suspends regional leaders for unauthorized meeting
- Power struggle within Numsa linked to dismissal of Khandani Msibi
- Disciplinary action to be taken against suspended leaders and staff members
