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- COSATU Today -
Our side of the story
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Contents
1 Workers' issues
1.1 COSATU Free State Provincial Executive Committee
2 South Africa
2.1 SACP statement on judgement of Tshwane North High Court
2.2 Church must strengthen and deepen democracy
2.3 Reconciliation at the centre of ANC values
3 Announcements
3.1 Alliance service delivery march, Cape Town
3.2 South Africa and the mediation process in Zimbabwe
3.3 The Saharwis' right to Self-Determination
3.4 NUMSA-ANC rally
1 Workers' issues
COSATU Free State Provincial Executive Committee
Sam Mashinini, COSATU Free State Provincial Secretary,, 17 March 2009
COSATU in the Free State held its Provincial Executive Committee meeting
on 14 March 2009 and discussed number of issues affecting workers both
at political, organizational and socio economic level. The PEC was
attended by all its affiliates as required by the constitution. The
decisions made were as follows:
1. Political Decisions
a) 22 April 2009 Elections
The PEC after receiving report on election work regarding mobilization
of workers to vote for the ANC resolved that the campaign should be
intensified and cover areas that have not been covered. The PEC was also
encouraged by the fact that in many workplace meetings and community
meetings visited since November 2009 many have shown support and trust
our people have on the ANC despite the challenge of service delivery in
some municipalities. The PEC concluded that the federation must continue
to engage the ANC to address issues raised during the interaction with
the people.
b) Premier Candidate for the Free State
The PEC also discussed the issue of the Premier Candidate for the Free
State and agreed to suggest in the alliance the name of Cde Ace
Magashule for the position because the Provincial List Conference held
in Bethlehem attended by all the regions and alliance partners
unanimously shown such a support.
2. Organisational
a) May Day 2009 Celebrations
The PEC also called upon workers and communities to attend the May Day
celebrations that will be held in the following areas:
Heilbron : Sanderville Stadium
Koffiefontein : Ditlhake Sports Ground
Brandford : Page Park Stadium
Ficksburg : Show Ground
b) Labour Forums in different Municipalities
The PEC upon receiving a report that some municipalities were not taking
the labour forums [LLF's] serious and as such that affects the
relationship between the union and municipalities, agreed that the
federation must engage with the ANC to ensure that the situation is
brought under control.
c) State of Department of Health
The PEC after receiving a report on the state of finances in the
Department of Health and its inability to give required medicines due to
lack of funds as a result of more clients having enrolled for ARV's than
anticipated resolved to make a call to the National Department of
Treasury to intervene into the matter.
3. Socio Economic
a) Economic Meltdown.
The PEC discussed the current economic crisis facing our country and the
world and resolved that all stakeholders in South Africa must do
everything to minimize the effects. The PEC expressed concern that some
employers may see the root of retrenching workers as the remedy to
address this crisis and then call upon all employers not to abuse this
situation for their needs.
2 South Africa
SACP statement on the judgement of Tshwane North High Court
Malesela Maleka, SACP Spokesperson, 17 March 2009
The SACP has welcomed the judgment passed today in the Tshwane North
High Court in the matter brought to the court by Mr. Clive Derby-Lewis
who wanted the court to put aside an objection by the family to the
parole board on his parole application.
Mr. Derby-Lewis was the mastermind behind the assassination of our late
General Secretary, Cde Chris Hani - a dastardly act that could have
undermined our transition to democracy and stability of our country. His
reprehensible action robbed our organisatrion and our country of one of
its greatest heroes and freedom fighters. He and his accomplices were
provoked by racial hatred and the desire to instill violence in our
country.
The SACP feels vindicated by the ruling. Mr. Derby-Lewis does not
deserve any form of pardon until he and his fellow assassin have told
the nation the whole truth on the circumstances surrounding the
assassination of our late General Secretary. We remain unconvinced that
Derby-Lewis has repented. They must rot in prison until they come clean.
The SACP will continue to step up its campaign to come to the bottom of
the matter of the assassination of our late General Secretary.
Church must strengthen and deepen democracy
ANC Today, 17 March 2009
Since its formation in 1912 the African National Congress has always
aligned itself with the church.
That is why yesterday the ANC President, Jacob Zuma attended a church
service in Rhema where he urged the church to pray for peaceful, free
and fair elections, and a smooth transition to the new administration
after April 22.
Jacob Zuma said; " We must pray for nation building, and together work
to make all South Africans feel at home in their country, regardless of
their colour, language, gender or creed. Together we will make this
country work. We must pray for huge projects such as the 2010 FIFA World
Cup to succeed."
"Since its formation in 1912 the African National Congress understood
this liberation mission of the Church and the word of God, and aligned
itself with it. We need the support of the church and all faith-based
organisations, so that together, we can release our people from the
slavery of poverty and its manifestations," he said.
"Churches are the only institutions that are found in every corner of
the country, even remote rural areas. The church will therefore be a key
partner in our proposed rural development initiative."
"We would also like to see a more active role of the church in
strengthening and deepening democracy. Our democracy allows the space
for peaceful coexistence and tolerance."
"Working together we can definitely do more, to make South Africa a land
of milk and honey," he said.
Reconciliation at the centre of ANC values
ANC Today, 18 March 2009
Reconciliation and unity have always been at the centre of the ANC's
principles and values, Secretary General Gwede Mantashe told about 5,000
people in Thembalethu Stadium in George in the Western Cape on Sunday.
He welcomed back to the organisation seven members who had resigned from
the ANC to contest municipal wards as independent candidates in the
previous by-elections.
He said: "Reconciliation and unity had always been at the centre of the
ANC's principles and values. Since 1912, the ANC's objective has always
been to unite the people of South Africa - we have a responsibility to
unite our people. When those who left come back, we will accept them."
"What happened within the ANC was that there were differences among
members - not divisions. Suggestions by some analysts that a coalition
of opposition parties could dislodge the ANC from power in four
provinces is a pipe dream."
He added: "The ANC was the only political party that can confidently say
to voters, we have managed to spread the social security net to protect
millions of our citizens trapped in poverty; we have built more than
three million houses for the poor and extended child grant benefits to
more than eight million children."
"Voters take our manifesto seriously because they know our track record
and are certain that we will be in government after the April 22
elections. Ours is not a manifesto of promises but commitments. As a
result our people know that there was no better political party in South
Africa than the ANC," he said.
3 Announcements
3.1 Alliance service delivery march, Cape Town
Khaya Magaxa, SACP Western Cape Provincial Secretary, 17 March 2009
The African National Congress, South African Communist Party, Congress
of South African Trade Unions, South African National Civic
Organisation, ANC Women's League, ANC Youth League, Young Communist
League and Mass Democratic Movement structures are calling upon all
residents within the jurisdiction of the City of Cape Town to attend in
their numbers the Service Delivery March, to be held on 20th March 2009,
starting at 11:00 in Kaizergracht (Cape Town) to the Offices of the
Mayor of the City of Cape Town, led by SACP General Secretary, Cde Blade
Nzimande.
People of Cape Town are saying enough is enough to the DA lead City of
Cape Town that is rallying a range of minority parties and
constituencies (similar to an apartheid tricameral system) against the
working class and the poor. The working class and the poor in the City
of Cape Town has lost hope and confidence in her leadership and the
Democratic Alliance.
The reality is that thousands of people in the City of Cape Town who are
mainly Coloureds and Africans are using chemical toilets; using bucket
system; living in informal dwelling; living in shacks in the backyard;
have no access to piped water inside the dwelling; facing daily water
cuts; threatened with the implementation of prepaid water system, which
is the direct infringement to their socio-economic right entrenched in
the Bill of Rights. Managers in the City of Cape Town who are mainly
Coloureds and Africans are terrorised as if they are second class
citizens in the City of Cape Town. Hellen Zille refuses to implement
youth programs and establish youth structures consistent with national
legislative framework.
This is irreconcilable with her vision of an "open opportunity society
for all in which all people have the freedoms to achieve their goals".
People of Cape Town have realised that her party represents a
fundamentally schizophrenic project, a liberal party of privilege using
a strata of the working class against itself. In the history of South
Africa, Liberalism as an ideology has never been able to solve problems
of the majority of our people. In this regard the DA is a self defeating
project, since it is trying to do the scientifically impossible, to be
answer to the problems and the challenges of the Metro which it cannot
do, since its own ideology does not allow for this to happen.
The African National Congress remains the only organisation that has
been consistent and continues to place service delivery at the helm of
its programme for social transformation. The current elections manifesto
bears testimony to ANC's focused commitment on services delivery. As
such the ANC has placed high priority to health; education; rural
development, housing and better and decent jobs as part of its ongoing
commitment to restoring the human dignity of all South Africans through
an even more accelerated pace on service delivery.
For more information contact Khaya Magaxa, SACP Western Cape Provincial
Secretary, on 083 721 0221
3.2 South Africa and the Mediation Process in Zimbabwe
CSR and Development Studies Seminar
Hear Brian Raftopoulos, Research Director, Solidarity Peace Trust
Anthropology and Development Studies Seminar Room, D-Ring 506, Auckland
Park Campus
20 March 2009, 16:00-18:00
Organised by the Centre for Sociological Research and Development
Studies Seminar
Those coming from outside UJ are advised to enter the campus through
Gate 2 on Ditton Avenue and to park in Car Park B, and it may be helpful
to show this invitation to the guard on duty.
Annelize Naidoo, Projects Officer, Centre for Sociological Research,
Tel: 011 559 4250
3.3 The Saharwis' right to Self-Determination
Patrick Baleka, Co-ordinator, Western Sahara Solidarity Forum (SA), 13
March 2009
The Saharwi refugees and the population of the occupied territory have
certain inherent rights which cannot be compromised in negotiations and
Realpolitik. The right to self-determination is a fundamental human
right. It has a prominent place in International law, enshrined in
common Article 1 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR0 and is considered a peremptory norm
in International customary law..Morocco is a party to all major human
rights conventions. Examples of violation of the right to
self-determination are foreign military occupation and other forms of
colonialism and exploitation of natural resources. This constitutes a
breach of these rights by Morocco. Morocco's conduct in relation to
Western Sahara is as an obvious violation.
The Western Sahara Solidarity Forum (SA) is inviting to a meeting which
will be on:
Date 20th March 2009
Time: 10 AM
Venue: 1st Floor Cosatu House
Items to be discussed are the following:
1 Campaigns
2 Humanitarian to Saharwi Refugees
3 Building a strong forum for the isolation of Morocco international
Your organisation is requested to nominate two representatives to attend
this meeting.
Kindly respond by no late 18th March 2009 through Patrick Baleka at
patrickbal...@yahoo.com
