Tubatse miner elected new NUM president
Phillip Vilakazi beat Dan Balepile by 80 votes during the NUM's 18th national congress in Boksburg.
A miner from Fetakgomo Tubatse was elected to the National Union of Mineworkers’ (NUM) leadership.
Former Modikwa Platinum miner, Phillip Vilakazi, unseated Dan Balepile during the 18th national congress in Boksburg (Gauteng) on June 26 to become the union’s new president.
Vilakazi became the NUM’s deputy president during its 16th national congress in June 2018.
With a total of 747 ballots, Vilakazi beat Balepile by 80 votes to become the new leader.
Olehile Kgware is the new deputy president. Mpho Phakedi will run the NUM’s engine room as the general secretary and will be deputised by a resident of Tubatse, Phillip Mankge.
Hellen Diatile returns as the national treasurer-general.
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Vilakazi was first employed by Modikwa as a rock drill operator in 2003. In the same year, he joined the NUM. In 2006, he was appointed community liaison officer at the mine.
He was ANC branch chairperson of Hoepakrans Village for five years and became the NUM Modikwa branch’s secretary for four terms. In 2011, he was elected as the NUM North East’s regional chairperson and automatically became a provincial executive committee member of Cosatu in Limpopo.
