SOUTH AFRICA: 20 YEARS OF THE LIBERATION MOVEMENT IN POWER 1990 Nelson Mandela released.

. First speeches affirm the Freedom Charter of 1955

which states people will share in the countrys wealth... mineral wealth banks and monopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people.

NUMSA 2014:
BUILDING A UNITED FRONT AGAINST NEO-LIBERALISM The National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) was born out of a
merger of 7 unions in 1987. It organizes in metal, engineering, steel, auto parts, auto assembly, tire manufacturing and now in mining, construction, chemical and transport. In order to survive apartheid repression the union relied heavily on strong shop floor organization and an extensive network of shop stewards in its organized companies. At the height of the state of emergency in the 90s during numerous trade union strikes in the metal industry and political upheavals in the townships, the union pioneered the first meetings bringing students and community organizations together with local shop stewards councils to plan joint political strikes. NUMSA believes in non-racialism, democracy and worker control, unity of metalworkers and all workers in South Africa and internationally, organized and united working class and a society without exploitation. You must be vigilant. How many times has a labour movement supported a liberation movement only to find itself betrayed on the day of liberation? There are many examples of this in Africa. If the ANC does not deliver the goods, you must do to it what you did to the apartheid regime.

Early 1990s political organizations unbanned. African National Congress (ANC),

Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) form an Alliance to lead a national democratic revolution for a democratic and non-racial South Africa. A two-stage theory of building socialism prevails.

1994 ANC wins resounding majority in first national elections and adopts a Reconstruction
and Development Program (RDP) committed to growth, development, reconstruction, redistribution and reconciliation. There are huge expectations of what the ANC in power would bring to workers and the poor.

1996 ANC adopts neo-liberal macro-economic policies through Growth, Employment and
Redistribution (GEAR) with strong push for privatization and redistributive measures trusted to the market.

2000 - 2014 turbulence within the Alliance as ANC government embraces neo-liberalism
more strongly and becomes more openly corrupt. NUMSA regularly leads voices of dissent.

2008 - 2014 South Africa dubbed protest capital of the world More than 2 million
people involved in street actions since 2008 protesting everything from lack of housing and basic services to police violence, unemployment and government corruption.

2012 Marikana massacre South African police open fire on striking platinum miners,
killing 34 workers. ANC and trade union leaders react with more concern about shaking investor confidence than about workers living in hovels without a living wage.

2013 Nkandla scandal highlights ANC corruption with President Jacob Zuma spending
$20 m of state funds on a palatial residential compound.

2013 December 5 Death of Nelson Mandela. President Jacob Zuma is booed during
commemorations.

2013 December 16 - 20 National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) Special Congress

and call to break with the Alliance.

Nelson Mandela,
at a COSATU Special Congress in 1993

NUMSA SPECIAL CONGRESS BASIC ISSUES

Issue
4. 2014 national elections

Decision
a) NUMSA shall endorse no political party in the 2014 governmental elections b) NUMSA members have the right to vote for the political party of their choice c) NUMSA shall not support the ANC or any other party financially or in terms of releasing personnel

Issue
1. Tri-partite Alliance
(ANC/COSATU/SACP)

Decision
a) Call on Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) to break its Alliance with the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) b) Establish a new united front that will coordinate struggles in the workplace and communities in a way similar to the United Democratic Front (UDF) of the 1980s. NUMSA members and shop stewards must be active in all struggles against neo-liberal policies from. service delivery and housing to unemployment and police violence c) Explore the establishment of a movement for socialism through research on previous and ongoing attempts to build socialism, and an international study on working class parties, mass and vanguard, in different countries such as Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia and Greece. Convene a conference on socialism once all the above is complete

5. Positioning NUMSA as the spear and shield of workers

a) Combat out-sourcing of none-core functions and labour brokers by organizing along value chains b) Broaden scope of operations to include related sectors and all workers wanting an effective union c) Adopt a Service Charter to defend members during this period of intensified struggles

POLITICAL SCHOOL AND RESISTANCE FAIR

NUMSA brought 170 stewards together for a week-long political school in late January to strategize on how to implement the Special Congress decisions at regional level. Building a new united front against neo-liberalism was high on the list. There were constant reminders from NUMSA leaders that a united front could not be built from the top down. It will emerge from common struggles in the trenches. NUMSA does not have all the answers. The school culminated with a Resistance Expo on the Saturday. More than 100 community activists from 13 sectors housing, immigration, LGBTI, health care, women and gender converged on the school to share their strategies for resistance to neo-liberalism. The first steps in building a new united front have now been taken.

2. ANC Adoption of neo-liberal path and misappropriation of state funds 3. COSATU Facing the challenges of neo-liberalism

a) Call for resignation of President Jacob Zuma

a) Continuously engage other COSATU affiliates to win them to our view of building an independent, militant and campaigning COSATU