spacer
spacer

 
Home arrow Leadership arrow Former Leadership

Former Leadership


Cyril Ramaphosa- General Secretary

ramaphosa.jpg

Cyril Ramaphosa was born in Soweto on 17 November 1952. After completing matric, he registered at the University of the North to study law in 1972. While at university Ramaphosa joined the South African Students Organisatio (SASO), and the Black Peoples' Convention (BPC).

A visionary leader who once "Theresaid: “There will be liberation, come rain or shine. I am optimistic about the future of South Africa. I think we have a great future ahead. In the ANC, we have a lot of talented leaders."
Ramaphosa himself is regarded as one of the most important leaders in the ANC. His election to the position of secretary general at the ANC Conference in June 1991 is proof of the faith members have in him.

Widely respected as a skilful and formidable negotiator and strategist, Ramaphosa is best known for the role he played in building the biggest and most powerful trade union in the country, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Ramaphosa himself is regarded as one of the most important leaders in the ANC. His election to the position of secretary general at the ANC Conference in June 1991 is proof of the faith members of the NUM have in him.

Ramaphosa was born in Soweto on 17 November 1952. After completing matric, he registered at the University of the North to study law in 1972. While at university Ramaphosa joined the South African Students Organisatio (SASO), and the Black Peoples' Convention (BPC).
In 1974 he was detained and held in solitary confinement for 11 months for his role in the organisation of pro-Frelimo rallies. In 1976 he was detained for a second time, and held for six months. During this time he began to question his role in the BPC, deciding that the "ideology of black consciousness had come full circle, it could take us no further".

After completing his law studies in 1981, Ramaphosa joined the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) as a legal advisor. In 1982 CUSA advised Ramaphosa to start a union for mine workers.
The union that was to become "a thorn in the flesh of mine bosses" had very humble beginnings. There were no funds to run the union and recruiting was difficult as mine bosses would not allow meetings to take place on mine premises. Ramaphosa, clad in a black leather jacket, would move around the goldfields at weekends, recruiting mine workers.

The NUM was launched in 1982, and Ramaphosa was elected to the position of Ggeneral Ssecretary, a position he held until he resigned from the union in 1991, (following his election as theto Secretary General of the ANC).
In one decade, immeasurable improvements were made in the living conditions and working standards of the country's largest work force. The union grew from a membership of 6,000 in 1982 to 300,000 in 1992, giving it control of nearly half of the total black work force in the mining industry.

In 1985 NUM left CUSA and helped played pivotal role in the formation of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). When COSATU joined forces with UDF against the Botha regime, Ramaphosa played a central role, leading him into the arena of the Mass Democratic Movement (MDM). When Mandela was released Ramaphosa was on the National Reception Committee.
Ramaphosa played a crucial role in negotiations with the former South African regime to bring about a peaceful end to apartheid and steer the country towards its first democratic elections in April 1994.
While not a member of the SACP, Ramaphosa is a committed socialist who believes that the dawn of political democracy in South Africa must be accompanied by economic democracy. "Democracy will be meaningless unless it can lead to the transformation of the quality of life of all our people," he says.
Listening to the cool sounds of jazz musician, John Coltrane, is a favourite pastime. Ramaphosa also enjoys tennis, trout fishing and watching motor-racing. He is an avid reader with a particular interest in biographies.
Ramaphosa is a sophisticated political thinker, a powerful negotiator and a leader of great integrity. He is one of the most outstanding figures of his generation.
On 24 May 1994 Ramaphosa was elected chairperson of the new Constitutional Assembly.


 

Kgalema Motlanthe- General Secretary

motlanthe_01.jpg

 Deputy President, African National Congress

Kgalema Motlanthe was born on 19 July 1949 in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, to a working class family. Most of his childhood was spent in Alexandra and much of his adult life was spent in Meadowlands, Soweto.

In the 1970s, while working for the Johannesburg City Council, he was recruited into Umkhonto we Sizwe. He formed part of a unit tasked with recruiting comrades for military training.

The unit was later instructed to transform its function from recruitment to sabotage. While some members of the unit left the country, he and Stan Nkosi remained in the country to establish such a machinery. Their unit was also involved in smuggling MK cadres in and out of the country via Swaziland.

On 14 April 1976 they wasere arrested for furthering the aims of the ANC and wasere kept in detention for 11 months at John Vorster Square in central Johannesburg.

In 1977 he was found guilty of three charges under Terrorism Act and sentenced to an effective 10 years imprisonment on Robben Island.

After his release in 1987, he was tasked with strengthening the union movement.

Motlanthe worked for the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in charge of education. Among other things, he was involved in training workers to form shopsteward committees.

In 1992 he was elected NUM General Secretary.

He was instrumental in negotiating a deal for mineworkers under which their wage increases would be pegged to productivity at a time when the gold price was low, and the industry was closing marginal mines. This deal helped to avert massive retrenchments in the sector.

He was involved in the establishment of the Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), which was wholly owned by the Mineworkers Investment Trust, with seed capital of R3 million. This has proven to be one of the best examples of effective economic empowerment in the country.

During his tenure, NUM established the JB Marks Education Trust, which provided bursaries to mineworkers and their dependants, and a resident trade union school called the Elijah Barayi Memorial Training Centre, located in Yeoville, Johannesburg. He was also involved in establishing the Mineworkers Development Agency, which focused on the developmental needs of ex-mineworkers, their dependants and communities.

While in NUM he served on the Miners' International Federation, and was involved in exchange programmes with the United Mineworkers of Australia.

When the ANC was unbanned in 1990, he was put in charge of re-establishing the legal structures of the organisation in the PWV region and was elected its first chairperson. He often travelled around the country with Walter Sisulu visiting violence flashpoints.

He was elected unopposed as the Secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1997 and was re-elected in 2002. Among other things, his responsibilities included the development of party-to-party relations in the region, across the countries of the South, and around the world.

In December 2007 he was elected ANC Deputy President at its 52nd National Conference in Polokwane.

In July 2008 he was appointed Minister in The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa. He is currently serving as the Deputy President of thr Rupublic of South Africa.

Gwede Mantashe- General Secretary

mantashe_01_1.jpg

  • 1982-1984: Num branch chairperson – matla coal
  • 1985-1988 : Num regional secretary – witbank
  • 1988-1993: National organiser
  • 1993-1994: Regional Coordinator
  • 1994-1998 : Assistant General secretary
  • 1998 March to 2006 May: General secretary

Other important areas of involvment:

  • Elected as local government authority councillor: 1995- 1999.
  • Currently a member of the Central Committee and the politburo of the South African Communist Party.
  • On his capacity as the General Secretary, he also serves in the structures of COSATU (Central Executive Committee), International Labour Federation, ICEM.

Archie Palane- Deputy General Secretary

  • 1986: Joined num
  • 1986: Deployed at the then wits region as an organiser
  • 1986: Was transferred to phalaborwa region and his scope was expanded to include lydenburg, rustenburg and nelspruit
  • 1989: Transferred to witbank region as a regional organiser to effect proper service and meet industry challenges, he was appointed as area organiser based at head office and later transferred to carltonville region as co-ordinator and subsequently transferred to pwv
  • 1995: Elected general secretary of sa samf
  • 1998: Elected as deputy general secretary of num
  • 2000: Re-elected as deputy general Secretary of num
  • 2003: Re-elected as deputy General Secretary of NUM until 2006 May

Thokoana James Motlatsi- Former President

cde_james_motlatsi.jpg

  • 1970 - 1987 Mineworker at Welkom Mine
  • 1982 - 2000 National Union of Mineworkers President
  • 1985 - to date Member of COSATU Executive Committee and Central Executive Committee
  • 1986 - to date President of Southern Africa Miners' Federation (SAMF)
  • 1994 Served as a member of Justice Melament commission on Salaries and conditions of Parliamentarians
  • 1989 - 1995 Vice President Miners' International Federation (MIF)
  • 1995 - to date Vice President of the International Chemical Energy Mining and General Workers (ICEM) Union
  • 1998 - to date Director of Anglogold Limited
  • Presently serving as a member of Wits University Council as well as a Trustee of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.
  • Retired as President at the 10nth NUM National Congress


Tribute to the Late Comrade Elijah Barayi, Former NUM Vice President

Throughout our liberation struggle, we have lost great heroes. Comrade Elijah Barayi is one of these leaders. He was a gallant fighter who took the struggle of the working class to the level where it is today, not to mention the democracy we have achieved.

He stood throughout his life to vividly spearhead the good course of not only the mineworkers, but also the oppressed majority of South Africa. His gratuity to the liberation struggle will never diminish and be forgotten. He was a liberator, a unionist and a gallant fighter who fearlessly challenged the draconian apartheid regime during the period of the state of emergency.

It is almost six years since comrade Elijah Barayi has passed. As a dedicated freedom fighter and a mineworker, his contribution to the liberation struggle can never be taken lightly. In fact his contribution started bearing fruits when the oppressed people of this country took power from the apartheid regime.

The loss of comrade Barayi touched every comrade, as he did not live to witness the benefits of his lifelong liberation struggle. Three months before the last march to the emancipation of the oppressed majority, a great hero was taken off this last march to freedom.

The late Comrade Elijah Barayi was born on the 15 June 1930 in Lingelihle, Eastern Cape. He joined the ANC Youth League in 1948 at the time when he was about to complete his JC (Grade 10). The impetus for him joining the ANC Youth League was preceded with a racist incident in town when some racist young white boys attacked him and Comrade Zinzele Ngalo; they subsequently fought back and defeated them. Comrade Barayi became actively involved in the activities of the ANC Youth League and his leading role in the defiance campaign in 1952 led to one-month detention in Cradock

On his release he came to the Witwatersrand where he was employed as a mine clerk and was later to become the founding member of the largest union in Africa, the National Union of mineworkers. As a mineworker, comrade Barayi was always at the forefront of the working class struggles for the betterment of the working conditions. He became a mineworker in the early 1970's. He became the founder vice president of NUM until to death. He played a prominent role in unmasking the National Union of mineworkers to the international communities such as the Miners International congress.

In 1985, Comrade Barayi became the first president of COSATU until 1991. From the outset he fearlessly provided defiant leadership that stood against the vile system of apartheid. His speeches are still remembered for the expressiveness, humour and forthrightness.

In his speech in Kings Park in 1985, he gave Botha six months to do away with the pass laws, the bantustan system, to unban COSAS and all political organisations, as well as to lift the state of emergency. His call for the abolishment of the pass laws was heeded by the apartheid regime. Before COSATU was launched, a number of meetings took place that were directed at bringing together the unions into one federation and comrade Barayi was one of the instrumental people in bringing such unity. His contribution to the liberation struggle shall never be forgotten. He will be remembered for the role he played in the liberation struggle.

 


Tribute to the Late Comrade Selby Sibusiso Mayise, Former Carltonville Chairperson

Comrade Selby Mayise was born on the 07th September 1960. He was the fourth son out of the family of six children. He attended school at Endlovini Lower Primary as well as Khombindlela High School. In 1979 he started his working life at Deelkraal Gold Mine until his death on the 12th May 1999.

 

Since joining the mine, he was active and through his commitment and dedication to his fellow members and comrades, he rose up through the ranks of the union to become Chairperson of Carletonville Region and a member of the National Executive Committee of the NUM. Cde Selby always displayed the qualities of a remarkable leader. He listened to workers problems, he never lost his temper, he always emphasised teamwork and loyalty and was prepared to respond to the call of duty. This earned him respect and popularity in the union as well as structures of the Tripartite Alliance.

He was elected as a member of the Board of the Mineworkers Provident Fund. He regarded this work as crucial in ensuring that mineworkers and their families (mainly from rural areas) were cared for in the event of death, disability and retirement and not return to the cycle of poverty. His commitment to uplifting the rural poor in our country made him an invaluable member of the Mineworkers Development Agency (MDA). The MDA gives retrenched mineworkers the opportunity to remain economically active after they have lost a member of Carletonville Town Council. He was an active member of both the ANC and SACP.

Comrade Selby was passionate about the role education can play in uplifting workers from their plight imposed by decades of exploitation and deprivation. His presence together with other leaders at West Drie on that fateful day was solely to explain to workers the importance of them understanding what happens top their money and how the fund and the law works.

We must remember this is not the sole responsibility of NUM leaders alone but also of management trustees. Unfortunately a small group of workers had another agenda. To disrupt and attack leaders. This is not the first time sinister forces have attempted to undermine mineworkers. Yesterday it was Amplats and Hormany. Those workers are suffering. Today it is some workers at Direfontein. Tomorrow it could be…?

Only unity and discipline can stop these forces. Our union will leave no stone unturned to ensure that these actions against workers are stopped once and for all. His senseless killing is not only a blow to the union but for the working class and the rural poor depend on mineworkers for a living. His death must not be in vain. We must continue the good work left by our late comrade. We must never be misled by forces that have no interest in advancing our cause - our families must never be made to suffer.

He was married to Dephney Nozulo the daugther of Mr and Mrs Jaxa in 1988. He is survived by his wife and four children, Abigail Buhle (15), Fortune Fofo (10), Makabongwe (6) and Sanele (1). This family is deeply distressed by his death as he was the pillar of strength in the family

The Mineworkers Provident Fund

The Mineworkers Provident Fund was established in 1989 by the National Union of Mineworkers and the chamber of Mines as a jointly managed and controlled fund. The MPF was a victory for mineworkers. Before this they had no access to benefit funds to care for then in the event of premature death, retirement and disability.

This fund is administered by Southern Life (now Momentum) , Assets are invested by S.C.M.B, R.M.B, NIBAN and Coronation. The guaranteed investment portion is invested by Old Mutual.

This fund is audited by Deloite and Touche. It is registered with the Financial Services Board.

We price ourselves of being part of this well-run, financial sound and liquid Provident Fund.

These funds are covered by the Pension Fund Act. This Act was amended by parliament in 1995. The amendments was effective from April 1996. This amendments gives dependents a right to claim against group schemes not only those nominated by the member. This applies to all Provident and Pension Funds.

The Trustees of the Mineworkers Provident Fund had an obligation to innovatively comply with the provision, by setting up trust for minor dependents. This followed two cases where minor dependents claimed to have not benefited from the lump sums paid to the widows:

Tshatshu case - R.E.G.M.

Sithole case - E.R.P.M.

This is only applicable in case of death. If a mineworker retires the rules remain unchanged.

This fund is in an industry where there are cases of workers made to resign and abscond.


Tanya Manuel - Chairperson, Women's Structure

  • 1993 - Joined NUM
  • 1993 - Elected shopsteward at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station
  • 1995 - Elected Branch Secretary- Bellville Branch
  • 1996 - 2000- Chairperson for Gender at the Western Cape Region of NUM
  • 2000 - Chairperson of the NUM Inaugral Women Structure
  • 2000 - Member of the NEC

Crosby Moni - Deputy President

  • 1984: Joined NUM at Matla Colliery
  • 1985: Elected Shop Steward at Matla Central after NUM recognition
  • 1985: Elected Matla Branch Secretary
  • 1987: Branch Chairperson at Matla
  • 1988: Elected Acting Witbank Regional Secretary
  • 1989: Elected Witbank Regional Chairperson
  • 1991: Re-elected Witbank Regional Chairperson
  • 1993: Re-elected as Witbank Regional Chaiperson
  • 1994: The Merged Secunda and Witbank Regions elected him as chairperson
  • 1996: Re-elected as Highveld Regional Chairperson
  • 1998: Re-elected as Highveld Regional Chairperson
  • 2000: Elected as deputy president of num
  • 2003: Re-elected as deputy president of num
  • 2006:Re-elected as deputy president of NUM  
  • 2009: Comrade Moni did not stand for re-election

Marcel Golding - Deputy General Secretary

 

 Marcel Golding is Chairman of Hosken Consolidated Investments (a publicly traded company on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange), as well as being a director of a number of companies, including the Tsogo Sun Group, YFM Radio Group and the Golden Arrow Bus Company.  He is also Chief Executive Officer of e.tv.

He was the founding chairman of the Mineworkers Investment Company (linked to the National Union of Mineworkers), one of the two pioneering trade union investment companies in South Africa.

Marcel holds a post-graduate degree from the University of Cape Town where he tutored and lectured for a brief period, before joining the National Union of Mineworkers in the mid 1980s.  He was elected the first Deputy General Secretary of the Union in 1987.  Whilst a unionist he served on various Cosatu executive and committee structures, and also served as a member of both the Miners International Federation and the Southern African Miners Federation executive committees.

From 1994 to 1997 he served as a Member of Parliament, where he chaired the Minerals and Energy Committee and the Audit Commission.   He pioneered key health and safety legislation for the mining industry, as well as policy papers in both the mining and energy fields.  He resigned from Parliament to head the only trade union-controlled listed company on the JSE Securities Exchange in 1997.

Marcel is also involved in a number of philanthropic, development and policy organisations as a trustee or director, including the HCI Foundation, The Wheatfield Estate Foundation, and the Minerals and Energy and Policy Centre.

 

Paul Nkuna - Treasurer General

 

Paul is the chief executive officer of Mineworkers Investment Company ("MIC").

He began his career as a teacher before joining the mining industry in 1977. He served as the Treasurer General of the National Union of Mineworkers for 10 years and as chairman of the executive committee of the Brakpan Transitional Local Council.

Paul serves as the non-executive chairman of Peermont and Primedia and is a director of Tracker, FirstRand, BPSA and Metrofile.

 

Derrick Elbrecht - Treasurer General

  • 1988: Joined NUM
  • 1989: Elected Shop Steward at Koeberg Branch
  • 1992: Elected Regional chairperson
  • 1997: Elected as Treasurer General of NUM
  • 2000: Re-elected as Treasurer General of NUM
  • 2003: Re-elected as Treasurer General of NUM.
  • 2006:Re-elected as Treasurer General of NUM.
  • 2009: Comrade Elbrecht did not stand for re-election.
Next >
[ Back ]
spacer
Latest News
NUM Newsletter

   
spacer