NUM supports the elimination of illiteracy

By Rhodé Marshall
07 September 2007

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is joining millions of people around the world who will be celebrating International Literacy Day on Saturday.

“NUM believes international literacy helps one to reflect and highlight the plight of millions of South African people who still use their thumbs as signatures,” says spokesperson for Num, Lesiba Seshoka.

Leshoka says that the union believes that literacy is the baseline for political, social and economic progress.

“South Africa has a total of 9, 6 million functionally illiterate people. In the mining industry alone, approximately 20% of the workforce is entirely unschooled and 40% functionally illiterate,” says Seshoka.

To commemorate the day, NUM along with Anglogold Ashanti and the Mining Qualifications Authority will hold an International Literacy Day at the Harry Oppenheimer Stadium in Orkney on Sunday the 9th.