South Africa's National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) says comments attributed to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) CEO, Mikel Mabasa, are detached from what it describes as a national crisis in the automotive industry.

 NUMSA's response follows a statement by Naamsa in which the association reportedly described Chinese vehicle imports as fantastic and a wake-up call that South Africa and its vehicle assemblers should simply accept.

The union argues that such remarks, made as the country continues to grapple with widespread job losses, are not only irritating but provocative. NUMSA says it will not accept a narrative that normalises job losses and factory closures under the guise of increased competition and consumer choice.

Thami Ngubeni spoke to NUMSA's national spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola.