Vital court case on NUMSA’s future postponed

A full day has been set aside for the Labour Court in Johannesburg to hear the case next week

By James Stent

10 August 2022

Photo of a gavel

The case between Ruth Ntlokotse and NUMSA’s General Secretary and president will be held next week Friday. Photo: Brian Turner via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Ruth Ntlokotse’s application in the Labour Court in Johannesburg against NUMSA, its General Secretary Irvin Jim, and its president Andrew Chirwa, was to be heard on 5 August. It has been postponed to 19 August.

A full day has been set aside for the court to hear the matter.

Ntlokotse, a former NUMSA office bearer, is seeking a contempt order against Jim and Chirwa. She is asking the court to set aside the union’s recent congress and elections. Ntlokotse argues that the union has not been in compliance with its own constitution. She has called for Jim to be arrested.

According to a press statement from Ntlokotse’s attorneys, the union undertook to hold off on suspending any union members, or effecting any changes to its constitution until the matter was heard.

Ntlokotse, meanwhile, said that she would not talk to the media.

For further details on the case, read: It’s Ruth Ntlokotse versus Irvin Jim in court.