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The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) in the Eastern Cape is mourning the loss of comrade Phumzile “Bigman” Nodongwe who was born on the 1st August 1960 and passed away on the evening of the 6th of July 2020.  We send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and his colleagues.

Comrade Nodongwe was the former Regional Secretary of the Eastern Cape, and he served Metalworkers diligently in that region from March 2012 to September 2016. Before that he was Regional Chairperson and from 2004 to 2008 he led collectively with the current General Secretary of the union, comrade Irvin Jim who at that time was the Regional Secretary. Comrade Mphumzi Maqungo who is now the National Treasurer, was the regional treasurer at that time, and comrade Xolani Samana was the Deputy Chairperson. Their term was characterized by militant struggles, unity and cohesion and as a result the NUMSA Region has sustained its revolutionary character.

Comrade Nodongwe was well loved. He has been described by his fellow friend comrade Xolani Tshayana, as a person who loved humanity and who had a heart bigger than his body. His life was devoted to NUMSA and the struggle of the working class.

He joined NUMSA in 1989 as an employee of Continental Tyres, and in 1998 he was elected as a shopsteward where he was instrumental within the NUMSA Shopstewards Committee. “Big Man” as he was affectionately known, received basic shopstewards training, and he was greatly influenced in his political and ideological training by the late comrade Bimba Mangqabashane, Mbuyiselo Ngwenda, Fieldmore “Phopho” Mapeto and Mthuthuzeli Tom. As a result, he organized the most radical and militant shifts in the plant at that time. In terms of organizational strategy at plant level, both Shift B, C and D were instrumental in championing the militant struggles of workers.

At plant level, he was deployed to the Employment and Equity Committee because of his political bravery and his hatred for racism and economic exploitation, and as a result of his work, a number of black graduates started to be employed at Continental Tyres - which was historically a bastion of racism.  Big Man was also in the forefront of mobilization and political agitation of NUMSA members, not only in the plant, but across the tyre Industry for the improvement of wages, benefits and conditions of workers during wage negotiations. 

Because NUMSA members and workers in general suffered under exorbitant interest rates from loan sharks, the Shopstewards Committee established the first Saving Credit Cooperative called Mayibuye Saving Credit Cooperative whose long term objective was to establish a Workers Bank similar to TEBA Bank of the NUM. This managed to assist workers to fund the education of their children, without relying on company loans. Comrade Nodongwe, with the collective, also fought against the imposition of undemocratic shift patterns and they opposed outsourcing of warehouses, canteen and security services which were defined as non-core production areas by the company, in a bid to preserve jobs and protect benefits. He was also in the forefront of the campaign against hazardous health and safety conditions at the workplace.

Big Man believed in international solidarity and he was instrumental in organizing international solidarity campaigns with Continental Workers who were unfairly retrenched in Charlotte in the U.S. between 2006 and 2008 when the global strategy of the company was to move from high to low cost production areas, in search of super profits. He also fought hard against the political co-option of the union and its shopstewards by manipulative employers and management, which was at all material times using divide and rule tactics against employees.

Today, the Tyre and Rubber Sector industry has managed to establish the only Industry Provident Fund in line with the vision of the union, and this is part of his legacy and forms part of his contribution to the struggles of the working class. 

When his term ended as Regional Secretary in 2016 he took up the position of Local Organizer a position he held until he passed away. He never regarded the job of Local Organizer as secondary, but as the embodiment of furthering the political and revolutionary aims of NUMSA and the working class movement. For him this was the kind of work he loved most – being able to serve the working class. He was looking forward to his retirement in August this year.

He was totally devoted to the struggle of working class. We are truly saddened by his passing. He left an indelible mark as a political activist, shopsteward, office bearer, and also a revolutionary. He sacrificed his personal life and time away from his family in order to pursue an agenda for the working class and for Metalworkers in particular. We are grateful for all that he has done to further the struggles of the working class. He was a true hero of the struggle. He is survived by his wife Balulwa Nodongwe, and his children Sandiso, Nomsa, Hlangoluhle, Zinomkhitha Sdima, as well as his brothers and sisters and ten grandchildren.

We will be honouring our leader with a drive through memorial which will take place on Saturday the 11th of July in Kwa Nobuhle in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape starting at 2pm – 5pm. We are urging his colleagues and friends to drop off letters and tributes as an expression of solidarity and compassion, whilst adhering to social distance in light of the covid19 pandemic. We urge mourners to please adhere strictly to the regulations and maintain social distance whilst participating in the memorial. (Dress code is red and black).

Lala ngoxolo “Bigman”.

Issued by The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa