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.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa on Tuesday confirmed that its national spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, had resigned after several death threats, including one she received while on official duty in Cape Town.
The union described the messages as serious enough to be concerned about its staff’s safety but was unclear about whether it had opened a case with the police.
Hlubi-Majola’s departure comes as Numsa prepares for its national congress later this year. The union has reported having about 400 000 members.
She informed the union about her resignation after she received a threatening call.
The union said in a statement on Tuesday that it accepted her resignation after reflection and said two other Numsa members had received similar threatening messages.
It said it would not discuss the details of Hlubi-Majola’s resignation publicly, describing it as confidential between itself and the former spokesperson.
In her resignation letter leaked to the media, Hlubi-Majola said the third death warning she recently received while on her way to parliament in Cape Town was the tipping point behind her decision to quit her job. She no longer felt safe to continue working for the union.
In the letter, dated 28 January and addressed to Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim, Hlubi-Majola said she had received a call warning her that people had been sent to kill her and her movements were being monitored.
“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.”
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.