The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in the North West convened a resoundingly successful Provincial Congress on the 28th-30th April 2025 at the Protea Hotel in Klerksdorp under the theme “Strengthening Workplace Organization to Defend Collective Bargaining, Deepen Class Consciousness and Advance Internationalism”.
The congress was attended by 110 delegates from all our five regions of the Province representing 20056 members from across all sectors of the union to deliberate on key matters affecting the organisation and to chart a way forward.
The congress reaffirmed NEHAWU’s unwavering commitment to internal democracy underpinned by strengthening workplace organisation, unity, comradeship and solidarity of all workers. Over the course of the congress, delegates engaged in robust and constructive discussions on the four pillars of the organisation which includes; international solidarity, socio economy and ideological and political work including discussing the state of the organisation in the North West.
The congress was addressed by all Alliance components in the province and received inspirational messages of support from the ANC, SANCO, SACP and COSATU.
We are elated and proudly declare that congress adopted progressive resolutions that are aimed at strengthening the work of the organisation and ensuring that no member is left behind as we continue to focus on membership service and recruitment as directed by the 12th National Congress and the 2024 Central Executive Committee.
Key amongst the resolutions adopted by congress is the reaffirmation of the decision of the union to contribute and support the SACP’s strategic pursuit of building a socialist movement of the working class and the poor and that the SACP must contest elections independently starting with the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The congress agreed that we need to intensify our socio-economic campaigns which include amongst others the implementation of the NHI, and the permanent absorption of CHWs including the call to support the permanent employment of all lecturers in the TVET sector.
The congress elected a new leadership to steer the organisation for the next coming four years. We are proud to announce the following elected Provincial Office Bearers:
Provincial Chairperson: Cde Piyata Nomcomyiya
Provincial Deputy Chairperson: Cde Sipho Ngubegusha
Provincial Treasurer: Cde Palesa Makgolo
Provincial Secretary: Cde Zanele Lawu
Provincial Deputy Secretary: Cde Mpho Mohlala
We wish to extend our sincere appreciation to the National Office Bearers for their invaluable contribution to the growth and stability of the union over the past few months as they ensured the smooth administration of the province.
We emerge from this congress with a renewed sense of commitment to root out external influence and capturing in and amongst our ranks, and to ensure that our members are united behind the banner of NEHAWU and that it becomes a necessary tool in their hands to fight and resolve their immediate workplace challenges that they face on a daily basis and also the broader working class.
As we emerge from this important gathering, we do so united in purpose and vision and call on all our members in the province to support and rally behind the newly elected leadership of this class-oriented trade union with an internationalist character, a transformative union, and a fighting and militant trade union.
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Issued by NEHAWU North West Secretariat Office:
For more information, please contact: Zanele Lawu (Provincial Secretary) at 079 506 2503 or email: zanelelawu@gmail.com or Mpho Mohlala (Provincial Deputy Secretary) at 063 685 1931 or email: mphomo@nehawu.org.za