New metalworkers union elects leaders
The Liberated Metalworkers Union of SA (Limusa) appointed leaders at its inaugural congress held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, it said on Sunday.
The recently formed union said at least 250 delegates constructed policy and elected leaders over the weekend.
The union is seen as a replacement of the National Metalworkers Union of SA (Numsa) at Cosatu. The Numsa was expelled from Cosatu last year after it was accused of bringing the trade union federation into disrepute.
Sibonele Mdletshe from Gauteng was elected president, Edwin Ratlapane from Limpopo and Akhona Dweba from KwaZulu-Natala were elected first and second deputy president respectively.
Mdletshe’s position was occupied by Sifiso Maphumulo following the founding of Limusa. Maphumulo died in a car accident in April. The former president of Numsa, Cedric Gina, who spearheaded the formation of Limusa, was appointed secretary. Gina hails from KwaZulu-Natal. Mawongo Madolo from the Eastern Cape was elected his deputy, while Sello Rapao from Gauteng took up the position of treasurer. Gina said the delegates committed to building a united Limusa.
”We declared that we would build our union as a united, democratic and worker controlled organisation committed to the principles of our constitution, including democratic centralism in the federation and our own organisation.”
”This being our inaugural congress, we were tasked with the important responsibility of constructing our policy positions on organisational, socio-economic, international and political matters.”
In recent months, the country’s biggest trade union has been marred by internal divisions worsened by the expulsion of Numsa and Cosatu’s former secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi.
The Limusa would fight for Cosatu and support its leadership’s decisions, said Gina.
”It is against this background that we commit ourselves to ensuring that our federation Cosatu remains united and that all metalworkers are mobilised under its umbrella. It is our firm view that 30 years into its existence only Cosatu can ensure that the workers of South Africa are defended at all costs.” he said.
”We thus wish to reaffirm and pledge our support to the recent organisational decisions that have been taken by Cosatu’s central executive committee…these include but are not limited to the expulsion of it’s former general secretary [Vavi] and that of Numsa.”
The trade union federation would hold a special national congress next month in Johannesburg. The Numsa’s court bid to be part of the special congress and be reinstated into Cosatu failed. -ANA
(File Photo: Gallo Images)