Bra Soks: An Inside Story of the Rise of the National Union of Mineworkers at Vaal Reefs Gold Mine

I interviewed Oliver Sokanyile for two days in Umtata in 1995. Although he never achieved a national reputation, he was an important early local actor in the early days of the NUM at Vaal Reefs. When the NUM arrived in 1982, Sokanyile joined. He was elected as Western Transvaal regional chairman at the first NUM National Congress in Klerksdorp. In 1985, when the union rank and file took control after the 1984 strike, Sokanyile was demoted to treasurer. Thenceforth, nonetheless, until he was fired after the 1987 strike, Sokanyile, a shrewd strategist, remained one of the most prominent union leaders at Vaal Reefs. Younger union leaders, who knew him as Bra Soks, spoke of him with tremendous respect. His story provides a window into the early years of the NUM at the local level and perhaps speaks to some pressing issues facing the NUM at the moment.