Eric Stalin Mtshali Recognition Award The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union {NEHAWU} convened Eric Stalin Mtshali Recognition Award Ceremony on Thursday, 31 August 2017 at Howard College Theatre, University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban. The recognition award ceremony was convened against the background of NEHAWU at the 11th National Congress having resolved that Comrade Eric "Stalin" Mtshali, an iconic leader of the World Federation of Trade Unions {WFTU} must receive a Special Recognition Award for his sterling contribution in the broader struggles of workers particularly towards the development of this giant militant trade union federation. In delivering the message of support on behalf of the South African Communist Party {SACP} in KwaZulu-Natal, the Provincial Chairperson, Cde. James Nxumalo acknowledged all present at the ceremony and went further to congratulate the national union {NEHAWU} on its milestone of 30 fighting years. He also extended gratitude to NEHAWU for bestowing and honouring Comrade Eric Stalin Magalela Mtshali a special award for his sterling contribution to the struggle of the working class. The Provincial Chairperson highlighted to comrades that indeed the year 2017 has been a remarkable for Comrade Mtshali, in that at the SACP 14th National Congress, the Man of Steel received a special award and also the Russian Communist honoured him with a special recognition award. SACP KZN Provincial Chairperson Cde James Nxumalo Comrade Nxumalo told the gathering that the vanguard party in KZN appreciates what NEHAWU has done in honouring a living icon of the revolution, which is something rare to find whereby a comrade is honoured whilst still alive. The honouring of Comrade Stalin Magalela Mtshali by NEHAWU demonstrates that his contribution to the working-class struggle for socialism, a struggle that he has never betrayed. Comrade Stalin represents a generation of cadres who have as unbroken service to the struggle said Comrade Nxumalo. The SACP KZN Chairperson concluded by pointing that Comrade Eric Stalin Mtshali is a true embodiment of the revolutionary alliance and the struggle. After the address by the SACP KZN Chairperson, the recognition ceremony then received a message of support from COSATU KZN which was delivered by the Provincial Secretary, Comrade Edwin Mkhize. COSATU KZN Provincial Secretary, Comrade Edwin Mkhize. In his address, Comrade Mkhize indicated that it was important to first and foremost congratulate NEHAWU for having reached the milestone of 30 years as a fighting militant union and the role it has played in building a strong federation of workers {COSATU}.
He also went further to thank and appreciate the union for the recognition it has bestowed upon Comrade Mtshali, for a sterling role he has played in the revolution. Comrade Mkhize alluded that the recognition award to Comrade Mtshali is an important mark in the aspect of writing and recording the history and struggles of the working class, as currently the history of the working class is not properly recorded. He went on to highlight that the history of the founding President of COSATU is not well documented and society is not well informed about workers struggles. Speaking about Comrade Mtshali, the COSATU Provincial Secretary had praises for comrade Stalin, how he never came to the revolution for self-appraisal but to play a critical role in the liberation of the working class. He made mention that the calibre of Comrade Mtshali was rare to find in the current generation comrades within the movement, a cadre who has upheld revolutionary discipline at all times, and a cadre that knows what it means to be selfless in the pursuit of the struggle. Context of the Recognition Award to Comrade Eric Stalin Mtshali General Secretary, Comrade Zola Saphetha In putting into context the recognition award to Comrade Eric Stalin Mtshali by the national union, the General Secretary, Comrade Zola Saphetha began by indicating that he will be reflecting on important milestones as the union recognises the contribution of Comrade Stalin, an icon of the working class, a dedicated communist who at all material times has been committed to socialism as a better system for the world. In analysing and assessing the state of the revolution both abroad and domestically, NEHAWU realised that there is no better year and time to recognise the contribution of Comrade Stalin Mtshali, precisely because the working class in pursuit of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) which is a direct route to socialism is beginning to pick up a fight and NEHAWU being in a celebratory mood decided on the award to honour Comrade Mtshali for his contribution in the struggle for the working class. NEHAWU honours Cde. Stalin Mtshali in 2017, a year when the union celebrates 150 years of Das Kapital, the critique of political economy by Karl Marx which taught comrades commodity, transformation of money into capital, what is called the workday, the general formulation of capital, buying and selling labour power that grounded our revolutionary theory as a class into the struggle we are pursuing, therefore we couldn t forget as we celebrate such an important literature that has guided the working class in broader struggles to overthrow capitalism as system said Comrade Saphetha. 2017 marks the year of the Centenary of the Great Red October Russian Socialist Revolution, a revolution that should inspire and strengthen the working class in pursuit of the revolution today, simply because this was a revolution that produced a worker-led government to hold power and to dictate how the means of
production/wealth must be controlled and distributed to the Soviet Union society. Also the 2017, is the year where we celebrate the contribution of a genuine revolutionary, Isithwalandwe/Seaparankoe Comrade OR Tambo, a cadre, a longest serving President General of the African National Congress {ANC}, who handed-over the ANC an organisation that was intact. Comrade Tambo once said "I have devotedly watched over the organisation all these years. I now hand it back to you, bigger, stronger, and intact. Guard our precious Movement." Comrade OR Tambo is the only President that can stand proudly in as far as taking the ANC as an instrument of the people to the people, NEHAWU doubts very much that the current sitting President, as he will be leaving in December 2017, at the 54th ANC Conference can proudly stand like Comrade Tambo. The values that Comrade OR Tambo taught us, we can better remember them on the day we celebrate your contribution to the struggle said Comrade Saphetha. NEHAWU honours and bestows the award to Comrade Mtshali as the national union celebrates its 30th anniversary, which is intertwined with the unions campaign and perspective towards the ANC 54th National Conference, where the workers choice Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa will be elected as the President of the African National Congress. NEHAWU through the World Federation of Trade Unions {WFTU} bestows the award to Comrade Eric Stalin Mtshali for the sterling role that he has played in the broader struggles of the working class and the proletariat in particular throughout the world. Comrade Saphetha concluded by saying that NEHAWU is happy with the sterling role comrade Mtshali has played in the building of the class orientated world federation of trade unions which today stands with 92 million members drawn from 26 countries in all 6 continents. Summary of the Keynote Address WFTU President, Comrade Mzwandile Makwayiba The President of the World Federation of Trade Unions {WFTU}, Comrade Mzwandile Makwayiba delivered the keynote address at the Eric Stalin Mtshali Recognition Award Ceremony. Comrade Makwayiba applauded NEHAWU for bestowing and honouring a living giant icon of the World Federation of Trade Unions comrade Stalin. He mentioned that the honour by the national union to Comrade Stalin should serve as a lesson to other unions and more especially the federation of workers {COSATU} in preserving, documenting and writing about the history of workers and giant icons such as comrade Stalin Mtshali, John Nkadimeng, Moses Mabhida and many more great revolutionaries of the working class who played a critical and important role in the building of a class orientated world federation of trade unions. WFTU President, Cde Mzwandile Makwayiba
The role played by comrade Stalin and many other working class revolutionaries in the struggle of the working class should at all times serve as an inspiration and lesson to the current younger generation of trade unionists and revolutionaries in pursuit of the national democratic revolution said Comrade Makwayiba. In South Africa, the World Federation of Trade Unions {WFTU} has two living icons through comrade Stalin Mtshali and comrade John Nkadimeng, both whom played central role in the advancement of the socialist struggle and building of WFTU in the African Continent. In closing his address the WFTU President, Comrade Makwayiba, further went to thank the Mtshali family for having borrowed Comrade Stalin to the World Federation of Trade Unions and the working class family in order to advance the struggle of workers. The WFTU President went on to present the special recognition award to Comrade Eric Stalin Mtshali. Summary of the response by Comrade Eric Stalin Mtshali After the presentation of the recognition award, Comrade Eric Stalin Mtshali addressed comrades gathered at the ceremony to honour him for the role he has played in the liberation of the working class and broader struggles. Cde Eric Stalin Mtshali He began by reflecting that he grew up in the trade union movement and has a passion for trade unions and workers struggles. He made mentioned that having grown up in the trade union movement; he has had the opportunity of working for the World Federation of Trade Unions {WFTU} in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Comrade Stalin highlighted to comrades at the gathering that he was also deployed by WFTU in Ethiopia to organise workers in trade union in that country, a role he took with dedication and made sure that the trade union movement developed in Ethiopian and ultimately in the African Continent. True to his sense of humour Comrade Stalin jokingly revealed that at home he has been confronted with a slight problem with his wife who is a nurse and a member of another union not a member of NEHAWU a red union, he has always associated himself with red unions, and maybe it s because the President of NEHAWU is based at WFTU Central Office in Athens. He went on to thank comrades who spoke well about him on the sterling contribution he has made but urged comrades that the most important thing currently is for the building and strengthening of trade unions in South Africa and wants to see the national union {NEHAWU} grow strong and organise and service members. He further cautioned comrades to jealousy guard against the usage of money in
trade unions, which has been a problem that has led to the weakening of trade unions in South Africa. Comrade Mtshali concluded by thanking the national union {NEHAWU} for the prestigious honour and indicated that his role in the struggle has always been informed by contributing to the total emancipation of the working class from the chains of capitalism. Issued by NEHAWU Communications Department 56 Marshall Street, Marshall Town P.O. Box 10812, Johannesburg, 2000 Tel: +27 11 833 2902 Fax: +27 11 833 0757 Tel:- 011 833 2902 Email:- info@nehawu.org.za Website:- www.nehawu.org.za Add your union as a friend on facebook follow your union on instagram follow your union on twitter