Factions trade suspensions as Numsa leadership crisis deepens

Irvin Jim, who has been “suspended” as general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), has written to regional leaders who orchestrated the suspension to provide written representations about why their membership of the metalworkers’ union should not be terminated.

Numsa’s national office bearers, including Jim, announced recently that their special national executive committee had resolved to suspend the regional leaders, who in turn said they had lost confidence in them.

However, the regional leaders announced at a media briefing that their own executive committee, which met last week Monday, had resolved to suspend the office bearers on charges of dereliction of duty, conduct bringing the union into disrepute, gross violations of the Numsa constitution and constitutional procedures, and wasteful expenditure.

The central committee meeting held by the regional leaders in October resolved to strip the national office bearers, including Jim and president Andrew Chirwa, of their powers and replace them with a task co-ordinating team.

In a letter dated November 5 to the regional leaders and Numsa staff members, Jim hit back, saying the task team had no standing in Numsa or authority to speak on behalf of the union “whatsoever”, given among others that no valid central committee was convened on October 23 and as such any resolutions arising from that meeting are null and void.

“Accordingly, you are well advised to ignore the content of the letter issued by [task team members Silumko] Nondwangu and [Karl] Cloete and make use of the opportunity afforded to you to make written representations as to why your membership/services should not be terminated by 6pm on Saturday November 7 2026. Failing which, Numsa’s national executive committee will proceed to consider your continued membership/services in the absence of any such representations,” Jim said.

At its peak before its expulsion from Cosatu in November 2014, Numsa was its largest affiliate with about 360,000 members

However, the regional leaders’ special national executive committee meeting had maintained that the central committee meeting of October 23 was “properly constituted and that its decisions remain valid and binding. No court of law has set aside those decisions.”

In their letter to the “suspended” regional leaders dated November 5, Nondwangu and Cloete said they were writing to “formally advise you of developments regarding the purported suspension issued against you by comrade Irvin Jim”.

“The special national executive committee, duly convened on November 2 2026, considered the decisions and actions taken by comrade Irvin Jim in relation to the suspension of elected leaders and office bearers of the union.

“Having considered the relevant constitutional provisions and surrounding circumstances, the special national executive committee concluded that the purported suspension issued against you was not authorised by the Numsa constitution and was therefore unlawful, unconstitutional, invalid and of no force or effect.

“The special national executive committee accordingly resolved that the purported suspension be lifted with immediate effect and that all comrades affected by such actions be restored to their full rights, responsibilities and standing within the union.”

Nondwangu and Cloete stated the regional leaders remained members and/or elected leaders in good standing, and the “purported suspension issued against you is regarded as invalid and unenforceable”.

“Any restrictions that flowed from that purported suspension are withdrawn. You are entitled to resume and perform all functions, duties and responsibilities attached to your elected position within the union.”

Numsa regional leaders from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, JC Bez, Mpumalanga and Sedibeng defied Jim by convening a central committee meeting recently, the highest decision-making body between national congresses. Jim had written to them to say the meeting scheduled for October 23-25 had been cancelled until further notice.

The letter by Jim followed a ruling by labour court judge Edwin Tlhotlhalemaje preventing Numsa and the office-bearers from barring delegates from Mpumalanga from attending, participating and voting at committee meetings.

The dispute arises from events at the Mpumalanga regional congress on June 29 and 30. Before the congress, the region’s Ehlanzeni local shop stewards council resolved that local office bearers would identify and nominate delegates from among its members.

After the congress, a shop steward complained directly to Jim that the process used to select delegates from Ehlanzeni structures was unlawful. They alleged that the election of Ehlanzeni council delegates contravened the Numsa constitution, “which in turn called into question the status of the regional congress and the delegates elected at that congress”.

In a letter dated September 4 to all central committee delegates, Numsa president Chirwa announced that the committee would reconvene without the Mpumalanga delegates.

This prompted Mpumalanga regional chair Nkosinathi Makhanya to approach the courts for relief.

In his ruling, Tlhotlhalemaje interdicted the office bearers from excluding the Mpumalanga delegation and found that Chirwa “on his own or with the general secretary” had “usurped the powers of the CC, acted ultra vires, and put the cart before the horse” and that such conduct “amounts to self-help”.

Numsa is expected to hold its national congress later this month, where a new national leadership will be elected.

The power struggle and counter-suspensions were viewed as threatening the credibility of the union, the backbone of the South African Federation of Trade Unions.

At its peak before its expulsion from Cosatu in November 2014, Numsa was its largest affiliate with about 360,000 members.

Business Day