Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said the third death warning she recently received while on her way to parliament was the tipping point behind her decision to quit her job.
National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said the third death warning she recently received while on her way to parliament was the tipping point behind her decision to quit her job. She no longer felt safe to continue working for the union.
In her resignation letter, dated 28 January and addressed to Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim, Hlubi-Majola said she had received a call warning that people had been sent to kill her and that her movements were being monitored. The call had come while she was travelling to parliament in Cape Town the previous day, she said.
“A person called me to warn me that people have been sent to assassinate me and that they are aware of my whereabouts at all times,” Hlubi-Majola wrote.
“This is the third time that someone has threatened my life in the time I have worked for Numsa. I do not feel it is safe for me to continue working for the union.
“It would be irresponsible of me to ignore these threats, especially because this is the year of the national congress and we are all aware that a lot of bad things happen during the congress. I am not prepared to risk my sense of peace or to expose myself anymore, it is just not worth it.”
Despite the circumstances of her departure, the journalist-turned-union-spokesperson reflected positively on her time at the union.
“I am very proud of the work I have done. I believe that my work strengthened the union and amplified its voice greatly in the media. My work has always been motivated by a deep love of the working class,” she said.
A Numsa memo, dated 29 January and circulated to staff and leadership, stated that three officials had received similar messages warning them to “be careful” because people had allegedly been paid to shoot and kill them.
The union said it believed the messages came from an individual, adding that an investigation was under way.
The memo, signed by Jim, did not name the officials who received the threats and did not indicate whether the matter had been reported to police. It said the union would work to expose those responsible and called on its members to remain vigilant.
Hlubi-Majola joined Numsa in 2019 and was vocal about the rights of workers, particularly around wage negotiations and industrial disputes. Her resignation comes as the 300 000-member union prepares for its national congress later this year.