Matosa replaces Zokwana as NUM leader

Former National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) president Senzeni Zokwana has joined President Jacob Zuma's ruling party in Parliament. File photo: Dumisani Sibeko

Former National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) president Senzeni Zokwana has joined President Jacob Zuma's ruling party in Parliament. File photo: Dumisani Sibeko

Published May 25, 2014

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Johannesburg - The deputy president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Thamsaqa Matosa has been appointed acting president, the union said on Sunday.

“The national executive committee (NEC) resolved to appoint Thamsaqa Piet Matosa as the acting president of NUM until the 2015

national congress,” said general secretary Frans Baleni.

Matosa replaces Senzeni Zokwana who has been deployed to Parliament. Zokwana joined the NUM in 1983. He became a shaft steward in 1984.

He was elected president of the union in 2000, a position he kept until his deployment to Parliament.

“The NUM congratulates comrade Senzeni Zokwana, who led the union with commitment and dedication for a period of years. We wish him all the best,” Baleni said.

He said the union also congratulated Madoda Sambatha, a regional co-ordinator of NUM in Matlosana (Klerksdorp) who had now been deployed by the ANC in the provincial legislature of the North West province.

“Our best wishes also go to Boingotlo Nthebe, a regional education secretary of NUM in North West who is now a member of the National Provincial Council.”

He said the deployment of NUM members was in line with swelling the ranks of the ANC, which was a Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) congress resolution .

“We believe that this also is consistent with the spirit to deploy to advance. As NUM, we have been spoiled by his 1/8Zokwana's 3/8 wisdom and we were thankful to work under him. The NEC fully supports him to advance the course of the working class at a different angle.”

Baleni said the NEC has noted the return of members who have indicated that they regret their departure in 2012.

“It (the NEC) calls on all its branches and regions to embrace the returnees. The NEC welcomes this as a good and positive sign to the fact that in every experience there are lessons .

“They have learned that words can move mountains, but experience is different.”

The NUM has lost members to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) following a violent wildcat strike in the platinum belt.

Amcu dethroned the NUM as a dominant union at Impala, Lonmin and Anglo American Platinum. - Sapa

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