Johannesburg — THE independence of the trade union movement has been compromised by "factional battles" in the tripartite alliance, embattled National Union of Mineworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Silumko Nondwangu said yesterday at Numsa's eighth national congress.

He told delegates that no union leaders could escape the euphoria before and after the African National Congress's (ANC's) elective conference last year. "We are caught as we meet today in a state of semi-paralysis about ourselves as metalworkers," he said.

Nondwangu's warning comes as he struggles to hold on to his post which will be contested by Numsa's Eastern Cape secretary, Irvin Jim. Numsa has not escaped the fierce contest raging in the ANC, with Nondwangu having to fight off disciplinary action from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) for backing former president Thabo Mbeki's unsuccessful bid for a third term as ANC president. That came after Cosatu chose to back ANC president Jacob Zuma. Nondwangu's name appeared on Mbeki's nomination list at the ANC conference.

Yesterday it emerged that Nondwangu was trailing Jim after the Eastern Cape secretary was nominated by more regions. Significantly, Nondwangu does not enjoy support for his second-term bid from his home region Eastern Cape but rather from Ekurhuleni, one of Numsa's strongest regions. However, a caucus between KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape decided to back Jim, thereby most likely sealing Nondwangu's fate.

Speakers cautioned yesterday against Numsa turning into a "conveyer belt" for ANC political factions, saying it should jealously guard its independence. However, union leaders took a dim view of suggestions by Mbeki's supporters to form a breakaway party. Former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, who recently locked horns with Cosatu for going after Nondwangu, will announce tomorrow whether he will throw his lot in with ANC dissidents. Shilowa and Nondwangu are perceived to be allies and Shilowa's decision could harden attitudes against the Numsa leader.

Nondwangu defended his stance yesterday when he delivered his political report, saying: "In our union loose groupings exist on the basis of what is appealing at the time, political rhetoric of no substance and organisational origins. What has happened though is a consistent marginalisation and castigation of the trade union cadre perceived to be associated in one way or another with the 1996 class project."

Nondwangu pleaded for diversity and independence in Numsa and said it had always represented a progressive culture of opinions and political strands. Alliance heavyweights, including Zuma, will address the congress today.