NUMSA's response to Dr Ngubekhaya Gobingca

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has noted the poisonous and malicious accusations made by Dr Ngubekhaya Gobingca against Numsa Investment Company (NIC), in The Star's newspaper, Business Report section, "Sizwe's AGM disruption may delay recovery", July 2, 2013 (see here).

We normally don't respond to issues related to our Investment Company since it does not only operate independently from Numsa, but is led by able men and women of stature. We want to do the unusual, and respond directly to the hidden and venomous accusations or claims that Numsa is being used as a business proxy for NIC.

"We feel insulted by Gobingca's insinuation that Numsa is being used by NIC for its own business interests. Clearly Gobingca insinuates that Numsa no longer takes it mandates from workers, but directly from NIC. This suggest directly or indirectly that Numsa is now a business union, we really feel insulted", says Numsa National Treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo

We have been agitating for Dr Gobingca's removal purely on matters related to his incapacity and irreconcilable differences that exist between owners of the scheme and the Curator. Any insinuations that suggest that we are calling for the Curator's head because of Numsa Financial Services (NFS) business interests within the scheme is totally untrue and should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves. Our call for the Curator's suspension and his subsequent removal are known by the owners of the scheme - the workers. And what we are demanding pertaining,  to Dr Gobingca's removal,  is a democratic and mandatory position from the workers themselves.

We have resisted any attempts to launch a public trial against the Curator, but we have insisted on an unbiased, open and transparent process, that might exonerate or find the curator guilty.

The above process has been undermined by the Curator and this has further created more suspicions from our side as a union. We have consistently made calls to the Registrar to consider investigating some of the damaging claims about the Curator, but these calls have fallen on deaf ears. We are demanding all this in the interest of our members and making sure that worker's resources are not being used selfishly to satisfy or fulfill an individual's greediness and opulent lifestyle.

Furthermore, the claim by Dr Gobingca that he walked-out of the AGM, because a group of delegates disrupted the meeting is false and shows high levels of dishonesty on his part. If truth be told, Dr Gobingca literally walked-out after his refusal to account on his responsibilities as a Curator as duly appointed by the court. His walking out at the AGM has created a sense of doubt and confusion within the scheme, and we have since sought legal opinion on the matter. We are adamant and clear that his walk-out should be permanent. We strongly believe that Dr Gobingca can save himself from public humiliation and embarrassment by exiting from his responsibilities.

Statement issued by Mphumzi Maqungo, NUMSA National Treasurer, July 3 2013

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