[miningmx.com] – ANC secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, delivered a stirring lecture on Sunday in Rustenburg telling workers that the mining sector “does not like mineworkers” and that it was intent on destroying the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Citing Mantashe’s lecture, which was delivered in Rusenburg’s Ben Marais hall, Sapa said the mining sector cared little for workers once they were injured and wanted to close NUM offices in an effort to hijack the revolution.
“The industry does not like mineworkers, they want to exploit you to make more money,” Sapa quoted Mantashe to have said.
“The attack on the NUM is an attack on us. We know the attack is on us. They want to hijack and steal our revolution. They see the mineworkers as a vehicle to hijack the revolution,” Mantashe said.
“You are not being victims because of your membership to NUM but because you are a loyal member of the revolution.”
He also urged workers to support the NUM: “Leave the NUM to service its members and let the workers see the difference,” said Mantashe adding that the union had a track record.
“The new unions do not bring anything new. What new things are they are bringing? They want all that NUM gains.”
NUM is thought to have lost 35,000 members to the Association of Mine and Construction Workers Union (Amcu).
