Suspended Numsa officials head to court over suspensions

A group of National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) officials is preparing to head to the Labour Court in Johannesburg on Friday in an attempt to have their suspensions lifted.

Around 30 officials claim they were suspended by the trade union in recent months – in efforts to prevent their participation in next week’s national conference in Cape Town, where new national office bearers will be elected.

The Chairperson of the union in Meyerton, Kwanda Khanyile, is among the members fighting against the suspensions.

“I believe we were suspended because we demanded accountability from union leaders in relation to the investment companies. Then we heard that they are giving each other shares of the R95 million. That is where we started to see something happening and we raised questions, even when we found out that they were donating money even to political parties.”

“That is why we believe we were suspended. The timing, you must understand, they suspend you now so that you won’t see [participate at] the congress. Some of us were long-suspended. We did appeal to the committee but no one ever responded to us. So that is why we decided to go to court, which is where we will find justice,” adds Khanyile.

The audio below discusses preparations for Numsa’s elective conference