NUMSA KWAZULU-NATAL REGIONAL CONGRESS DECLARATION HELD AS FROM 16 - 18 MARCH 2012, CHRISTIAN CENTRE - THE DOME, DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE
18 March 2012
We the 500 voting delegates presenting a total membership of 49 000, held a highly successful NUMSA KwaZulu- Natal elective Regional Congress under the strategic theme, "25 years of consistent revolution against the capitalists towards changing the status quo, transfer of benefits to the working class to advance to socialism". This Congress was historic because it coincided with the weekend of Karl Marx's burial 129 years ago. For many of us, Karl Marx's remains a symbol of a hope in our struggles to abolish the dictatorship of the ruling class and replacing it with the dictatorship of the working class. Comrade Marx's ideas continue to inspire many workers and the poor worldwide, his scientific theory of Marxism has proven that Capitalism is a failure for humanity.
This congress was addressed by our General Secretary Cde Irvin Jim, COSATU Deputy Provincial Chairperson Cde John Dlamini, SACP Provincial Deputy Chairperson Cde Nomthandazo Caluza and ANC Provincial Secretary Cde Sihle Zikalala.
This Congress was taking place within the context of global capitalist crisis in Europe and the United States of America (US) itself. Even in our own country we are faced with the triple crisis of unemployment, poverty, inequalities as permeated by Capitalist embedded and neo-liberal economic policies pursued and advanced by the democratic government as led by the ANC.
The Congress affirmed the Freedom Charter as an over-arching policy document and vision for the ANC, with the support of its two working class allies, the SACP and COSATU. This Congress took place after a successful mass occupation of cities and towns by COSATU in our fight against Labour Broking and commodification of public roads in the form of e-tolling. The Congress remains adamant that Labour Brokers should be banned in line with the Freedom Charter injunction "child labour, compound labour, the tot system and the contract labour shall be abolished".
Our Congress coincided with the ANC EThekwini Regional Conference and the delegates wished the ANC a successful Conference.
The Congress noted the malicious political attempts by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to embarrass the President of the African National Congress (ANC) Comrade Jacob Zuma by using the organs of class rule, the courts, to challenge the decision taken by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to drop or withdraw the corruption charges faced by the then ANC Deputy President.
The Congress took note of the opportunistic and malicious political offensive targeting the General Secretary of COSATU Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi. We strongly believe that this offensive is not class neutral, but seeks to capture COSATU to be lapdog of the ruling class, as opposed to be a revolutionary, militant and principled voice of the down-trodden and poor of our country. The Metalworkers are combat ready to defend not only COSATU General Secretary, but COSATU as a whole. We call on all COSATU affiliates to defend the federation and its elected leadership.
The Congress took note of the public posture taken by the vanguard party, the SACP, on the ongoing class struggles waged by the organised section of the working class, COSATU. The Congress raised concern that the deployment of key leaders of the SACP into strategic sites of power, the State, has compromised the independence of the vanguard on key issues faced by the working class.
We note that the SACP, instead of playing its vanguard role, finds comfort in using the Umsebenzi Online to attack the organised section of the working class as led by COSATU. The Congress was offended by the malicious characterisation or comparison of the federation as the same as the Democratic Alliance (DA). This characterisation is poisonous and has a potential to divide the two leading formations of the working class, the SACP and COSATU. The relationship of the SACP and COSATU is of paramount importance given our shared political vision of building a Socialist Republic of South Africa.
The Congress reiterated its call for the SACP, the political guarantor for the struggle for Socialism and political vanguard of the working class to review its decision to deploy its senior leaders into the state. This call is not an attack on the SACP, but a principled position given the absence of the SACP in leading popular working class struggles. This absence of the SACP has deprived the organised section of the working class, COSATU, of ideological and political guidance on the many class struggles or battles waged by workers at the point of production against the Capitalist bosses.
The Congress noted that 2012 is the year of congresses, for ANC, SACP, NUMSA and COSATU. The Congress called for vigilance and decisiveness from the working class. This will require workers, in their own rights as members of the ANC and SACP to actively participate as part of advancing working class hegemony.
The Congress was adamant that these Congresses present a strategic platform to advance radical economic policies to alter or change the existing economic imbalances. The Congress was firm that nationalisation of strategic monopoly industries, such as mines, banks, Sasol and Arcellor-Mittal, to be in the hands of the people should not be postponed anymore. The Congress was firm that the ANC should use its parliamentary power to implement or pursue radical economic policies in order to achieve the strategic goals of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) as encapsulated in the Freedom Charter.
The Congress re-committed itself in building a new Shopsteward cadre that is rooted in working class consciousness, willing to serve workers without any material expectations or gains, wholly committed in pursuing the mandate of workers at all times. The Congress therefore charged the elected leadership to strengthen political education targeting Shopstewards in order to produce a Shopsteward cadre that is able to defend workers at the point of production.
The Congress discharged the newly elected Regional Office Bearers (ROB's) with the following political responsibilities:
· The Metalworkers will politically and legally challenge SEIFSA pertaining to its ill-conceived conclusions that section 77 is not covered in the Bargaining Agreement; therefore we shall fight for the payments deducted from our wages as a result of participating in COSATU stay away.
· The Metalworkers will intensify its struggle to ban labour brokers in all sectors where the union organises;
Congress note the dynamics within the alliance compromising the working class interest and the narrow perspective when dealing with fundamental issues.
Therefore congress commit itself to ensure that alliance continue to be sacrosanct and further ensure working class hegemony.
The Congress noted the challenges confronting the working in this country including the deepening levels of poverty; inequality and unemployment. Therefore re-affirm that National democratic revolution is on cross road and therefore working shall strongly lead its struggles to ensure that the path to socialist through NDR is not compromised.
The Congress warmly embraced the decision taken by the Central Committee (CC) of union to delegate KwaZulu-Natal to host our elective 9th National Congress and 25th Anniversary Rally in June 2012.
Statement issued by Mbuso Ngubane, NUMSA KZN Regional Secretary, March 18 2012
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
