COSATU Today 3 November 2009

This brings to 145 the number of mineworkers who lost their lives in the line of duty this year. NUM regrets the accidents and calls on the Mineral Resources Department to order shaft closure in terms of section 54 of the Mine Health and Safety Act.

NUM further calls on its members to observe a day of mourning as per the union‘s resolution.

Contrary to what many argue, death in the industry remains a corporate norm and those who hint that the figures are down may never have gone through the pain of losing a loved one through deliberate acts of both ignorance and negligence.

1.2 SAMA elects new leadership

Adri van Eeden, SAMA, 2 November 2009

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has held a successful three-day National Council at Boksburg from 29 -31 October, where new leadership was elected.

SAMA welcomes the appointment of its new Chairman, Dr Norman Mabasa who was unanimously elected. Dr Mabasa is widely regarded as a strong conciliator with extensive experience in the healthcare arena.

The new Honorary President, Dr Jiyana Mbere was also inaugurated at this meeting.

Says Dr Mabasa: “I feel humbled by my election and regard it as a serious challenge. I regard my tenure as a time to heal wounds inflicted within the profession itself and between the profession and its stakeholders. The profession faces serious challenges in dealing with matters that has led to unrest e.g. the Occupation Specific Dispensation for public sector doctors and the Reference Price List for private sector doctors - some of whom have already instituted legal action against the Minister of Health.”

“I have confidence in the newly elected Board of SAMA. They are competent to take the Association through the challenges facing us and the profession and represent a good balance of representatives from both the public sector and private sector,” he stated.

1.3 SAMA warns bogus doctors

Adri van Eeden, 2 November 2009

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has issued a strong warning against bogus doctors during its recent National Council meeting in Boksburg.

SAMA Chairman, Dr Norman Mabasa, called on members of the community to be vigilant about bogus doctors claiming to be trained medical practitioners, providing medical treatment to the unsuspecting public and in some cases embarking upon activities that bring the name of the medical profession into disrepute, for example with sexual assault cases. “These so-called doctors often advertise their services by way of leaflets and via advertisements on street corners, offering very attractive medical solutions to all types of ailments.”

When in doubt, members of the public must contact the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) who has a national register of all registered medical practitioners. The public is urged to verify their doctor’s registration with the HPCSA prior to consulting the doctor. In the event that a doctor is not registered with the HPCSA, we urge members of the public to report this person to the SA Police Service.

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1.4 POPCRU celebrates triumphal 20^th anniversary

Norman Mampane, POPCRU Communication and Media Officer, 2 November 2009

POPCRU once again come together to celebrate our triumphal story from painful inception for our 20^th Anniversary as a flourishing Organization, fully recognised and included in key Policy and Decision-making forums in the Criminal Justice Cluster. POPCRU is affiliated to COSATU and PSI.

Eleven brave prison warders and police officers met in a house in Strand, Cape Town on 05 November 1989 to form the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Union) and that culminated as landmark event; introducing for the first time trade unionism in the Security forces during the Apartheid Era.

We hereby invite All Members of the Media to come and celebrate with us. POPCRU has forever continued to grow from 30 000 to 145 000 as the Membership currently stands. The late and former Secretary General of the African National Congress, Cde Walter Sizulu once said” I hope POPCRU will develop and snowball” I hope more and more policemen will join this Union for Human Rights for police because they are also humans who need their rights protected like everybody’s”.

The celebration will be under the theme” 20 Years of Advancing the Working Class Struggle within the Justice Cluster “and buses from the Nine Provinces are leading to Free State.

The event will unfold as follows;

Date: 07 November 2009

Venue: Seisa Ramabodi Stadium, Rocklands Free State

Time: 09H00-22H00

The event will be addressed by Speakers from ANC, SACP and COSATU. And thereafter the second part will see artists such Chomee, Phuzekhemisi, Thandiswa and others entertaining all members and the Community with music.

2. South Africa

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2.1 NUMSA takes a swipe at the SA richest

Castro Ngobese, NUMSA’s National Spokesperson, 2 November 2009

NUMSA has raised a concern that massive wealth worth of billions of rands is concentrated in the hands of private individuals as reported in the Sunday Times – Rich List.

This obscene and massive wealth is being reported by the Sunday Times in the midst of the revelations that South Africa has apparently taken over Brazil as the most unequal country in the world ever. This has been confirmed by University of Cape Town, School of Economics, Professor Haroon Bhorat, that indeed South Africa is now the most unequal country in the world, with a significant increase in income inequalities. He also confirms that whilst inequalities have risen amongst Black South Africans, the growth of White South Africans salaries between 1995 and 2008 surpasses by far the growth of salaries amongst Black South Africans. He further points out that at this juncture, the salaries of Black South Africans grew on average by about 38%, and those of White South Africans salaries grew by a stinking 83%.

This quantifies the fact that income inequalities have worsen since the demise of Apartheid in our country and a tiny Black capitalist fraction has emerged, and which is dependent on both the State and established White monopoly capital for its own survival.

This absurdity has been sharply characterized by the vanguard – the South African Communist Party (SACP) as the javelin syndrome. The use of incumbency in particular positions in the State to ‘throw the javelin’ (public resources) to a network of friends, family and other connections so that a comfortable personal transit can be made from the public sector to the private – where the ‘javelin’, or at least the share of it, can be personally retrieved. This accumulation and obsceneness was fostered by the 1996 Class Project and deepened everywhere in the State, private sector and systematically transmitted to our society at large.

Currently, millions of jobs have been shed in the manufacturing and other sectors, the cost of basic necessities are skyrocketing, unemployment rate is escalating, massive service delivery backlogs, houses and cars are being repossessed by financial institutions and massive poverty is deepening amongst the vast sections of the workers and the poor. This can be attributed to deep seated and embedded crisis of capitalism entrenched in our economy and social sphere by the 1996 Class Project and which has reproduced a fraction of a black elites co-opted by dominant White monopoly capital. Why should such massive wealth be in the hands of private individuals?

We strongly believe that our National Democratic Revolution (NDR) as encapsulated in the Freedom Charter was never meant to reproduce or replace a White capitalist class with a Black capitalist class or co-opt connected politicians to join exploiters. The NDR has always been anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist. This then calls for the radical and revolutionary agenda to be championed by the broad movement as led by the ANC to transfer the wealth of our country to the hands of the people as a whole, as opposed to a selected few. The failure by the ANC and movement to champion this revolutionary agenda will spiral today’s alienation and upsurge of service delivery protests over economic marginalization and resources.

As Numsa, we are calling for the nationalization, and eventually the socialization of the massive and privately owned wealth in the hands of Motsepes, Sexwales, Macozomas, Nhlekos, Mittals and Oppenheimers of this world. We are conscious of the fact that there has never been any transfer of wealth from the capitalists to the workers and the poor without any form of force or ‘imposition’. We are not blind to no way in which the exploiters and oppressors of the workers and the poor surrender our wealth without being forced to so.

Numsa will lobby other Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) affiliated unions and progressive forces to mount a radical and militant campaign to put a stop on excessive privately owned wealth and salaries which are reproducing racialised (class and gendered) apartheid inequalities and opulence.

This also calls on the Tripartite Alliance Secretariat to have an informed and structured discussion on the privately owned wealth and earned salaries in relation to our ongoing efforts of building a Freedom Charter based society. The inability by the Alliance Secretariat to have a frank and honest discussion on this matter will be tantamount to auctioning the revolution to the highest bidders in the market.

3. International

3.1 SSN condemns defacing of ‘Che Guevara

Lucky Lukhele, SSN National Spokesperson, 02 November 2009

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) has condemned with contempt and utter disgust the de-facing of the portrait of the late Cuban revolutionary and internationalist Cde Enersto ‘Che’ Guevara by a South African based capitalist school for chef’s called Capsicumcooking Institute.

It is despicable that capitalist institutions and multi national companies are using Che’s image and popularity for their self-centered maximization profits interests and re-invent him as a symbol of their selfish greediness, immoral, barbaric, inhumane and unequal capitalist system. Che was vehemently opposed to Capitalism and fought gallantly against its imperialist dominance in the body politics of the world order.

As SSN, we demand that Capsicumcooking withdraws with immediate effect its advertisement of Che and publicly apologise to both the people of Cuba and South Africa. Che occupies a special place in the minds and hearts of the people of South Africa and Swaziland in the struggle for national liberation and freedom. His immortal remains represent a bond of fraternalhood and comradeship enjoyed by the liberation movements of Southern Africa with the Communist Party of Cuba for their unconditional support during the struggle for national liberation. He remains an inspiration to the oppressed and suffering people of Swaziland as a result of the Tinhkundla regime of King Mswati.

When the US agents executed Che 42 years ago in Bolivia, their thought they are killing his ideas, but to millions of working masses and the poor of the world his ideas are a symbol of true humanity and social justice.

The failure by Capsicumcooking to withdraw the advert and publicly apologise we will apply radical measures that will compel them to adhere to our demand. This also applies to Edgars, Truworths and other stores that are using the name of Che to generate profit in the midst of economic embargo imposed on the Cubans by the US Obama regime.

The companies that used to operate and we were sympathetic to the apartheid regime know the effects and impacts of the consumer boycott. Our country is littered with far greater examples of companies that we were crushed and shutted-down through popular support and mobilization!

3.2 Make Some Noise about Zimbabwe Concert

Oliver Meth, Centre for Civil Society, 2 November 2009

Zimbabwe has lurched from hope to despair as initial optimism in the unity government is undermined by ZANU PF’s bad faith. Opposition activists are still beaten, MDC ministers are arrested and the constitutional-making process has been violently hijacked by ZANU PF militias. Hate speech continues to dominate the state media while new independent media faces hurdle after hurdle. NGO leaders are arrested for holding internal meetings and MDC officials are abducted. In protest against these violations the MDC has disengaged from government while civil society has refused to interact with the unity government. Meanwhile Zimbabwe loses millions of its people to neighbouring countries such as South Africa where they face poverty and discrimination. The people of Zimbabwe are crying out for a new constitution, freedom of expression and for their social, economic and human rights. The SADC region needs to act in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. Magamba the Cultural Activist Network in partnership with the Action Support Centre (the host of the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum secretariat), LNM Entertainment and the Centre for Civil Society (UKZN) will take the MAKE SOME NOISE! concerts from Durban to Jozi in order to build people-to-people solidarity in the region and to maintain a spotlight on the Zimbabwean crisis.

The MAKE SOME NOISE concert will kick off in front of hundreds of people at the Memorial Tower Building Courtyard at University of Kwazulu Natal, Durban from 6pm on Friday 6th November. Aiming to raise awareness about xenophobia and the plight of Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa, the concert will feature leading Southern African artists who preach change and make people move at the same time! This will include top Durban artists Iain Ewok Robinson, the Maskandi Band, Car Boot Vendors and Davyn & Kho. Representing Zimbabwe will be the explosive band, Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka whose politically-charged music is “undeniably alluring“ (Globe & Mail, Canada.) Despite their heavily political debut album being banned in their own country Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka have toured globally, having toured the USA twice this year, sharing the stage with the likes of Sly & Robbie, Anthony B and Knaan. Also representing Zimbabwe will be one of Zimbabwe’s most talented emcees, Oustpoken.

The MAKE SOME NOISE! caravan then arrives in Joburg the next day. Kicking off at Bassline from 7pm on Saturday 7th November, the concert will feature Comrade Fatso & Chabvondoka. Also on the line up is Outspoken backed by his band the Essence, Harare’s fresh, politically-charged afro-soul hip hop band, who have been wowing audiences from Mbabane to Durban. Zubz is also on the bill, the Zambia-born, Zimbabwe-bred emcee has been in the scene for over a decade: he’s played opening concerts for Talib Kweli and Black Thought, and has even collaborated with local jazz legend Pops Mohammed.

The SA entourage will include Tidal Waves – known as “the hardest working reggae band in South Africa”, the Waves (as they are affectionately known) have toured extensivley in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and bring their unique brand of roots/ska with rock fusion. The comes Kwani Eperience, Jozi’s gritty yet sophisticated band with a distinct edge in their attitude, their messages, their look and their funky afro hop sound.

Last but not least, the inimitable Zonke makes her debut appearance at Make Some Noise! Zonke is a quality and complete artist who first cut her teeth with Culture Clan, a nine-piece Germany based funk and soul band. Zonke’s talent has become evident and undeniable, with numerous industry recognitions: including 2 nominations at the Metro fm Awards 2007 for Best New Comer and Best Afro Pop, 4 nominations at the 14^th Annual MTN SAMA Awards for Best Female, Album of the year, Best Urban Pop Album, and MTN Record of the year. As if that was not enough, in 2008 she was nomited the 2008 MTV MAMA Award Best Female artist for Africa. Since the release of "Life, love 'n Music", she has been burning up the play lists on popular radio stations and continues to wow audiences across Southern Africa.

Make Some Noise! resident DJ, the assiduous Kenzhero supplies the tunes all night and Karabo Kgoleng (SA fm) hosts the event.

The inaugural MAKE SOME NOISE concert held in Johannesburg in December 2007 was successful, attended by 200 people. The two consecutive editions in the MAKE SOME NOISE series saw hundreds more attending and 400 letters addressed to Thabo Mbeki demanding action on Zimbabwe were signed by participants and sent to the president’s office. The last MAKE SOME NOISE Concert, held on 29^th March 2009, saw over 800 people packing into the Bassline for an unforgettable experience. The MAKE SOME NOISE series attracts significant media coverage, having been covered in mainstream print, radio, web and TV media from over 7 different countries. Don’t miss this MAKE SOME NOISE! which promises to rock you to the rhythms of change!!

Play your part – Make Some Noise!!!

Concerts For Freedom In Zimbabwe

6pm, Friday 6th November @ UKZN, Durban

7pm, Saturday 7th November @ The Bassline, Joburg

4. Announcements

4.1 eTV’s Big Debate series

You are invited to participate as an audience member in two debates being filmed at the MNET Studios in Randburg this Sunday 8^th of November as part of eTV's Big Debate series (in partnership with the Dinokeng Scenarios). The debates are hosted by Redi Direko. Places are limited, so please reply to this email right away to secure a seat.

DEBATE ONE: 9AM - 11.00AM: IS OUR FOREIGN POLICY IMMORAL?

Panelists and participants include:

Ambassador George Nene: Department of International Relations
Desmond Tutu: Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town
David Maynier: DA Shadow Minister of Defence (critic of SA Arms Sales)
Prof Adam Habib: Deputy Vice Chancellor, UJ
Charles Abrahams: Lawyer for Khulumani (Apartheid Reparations Lawsuit)
Sipho Mthathi: Human Rights Watch
Nomfundo Ngwenya: SA Institute for International Affairs

DEBATE TWO: 12NOON - 2.00PM: JOBS & THE ECONOMY – TIME FOR A NEW PARADIGM?

Panelists and participants include:

Kuben Pillay, Head of the Budget Office, National Treasury
Frans Baleni, General Secretary, NUM
Nick Holland, CEO Goldfields
Kuseni Dlamini, CEO Old Mutual
Prof Iraj Abedian, Pan-African Investments
Prof Dani Nabudere, Author “The Crash of International Finance-Capital”
Prof Immanuel Wallerstein, Yale University

If you would like to attend one of these debates, reply to this email with the names and cell numbers of those people who would like to attend. Places are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Reply address: bigde...@gmail.com

For the first debate, please put "CONFIRM DEBATE ONE: FOREIGN POLICY" in the subject.
For the second debate, put "CONFIRM DEBATE TWO: JOBS & THE ECONOMY" in the subject.

Full venue details in reply to your confirmation email.

PS: DON'T MISS THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE NEW SERIES OF "THE BIG DEBATE" STARTING TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER AT 9pm ON THE eNEWS CHANNEL).

5. Letters

5.1 Palestinian salutes COSATU for supporting a just cause

Khaled A A Ghannam, South African-based Palestinian businessman, 2 November 2009

In introducing myself, my name is Khaled Ghannam, I am Palestinian origin of Jordan nationality, currently residing in my second home South Africa.

I did read your publication regarding the Honorable R. Goldstone report on Gaza holocaust of last December - January, I take this opportunity to stand in SALUTE for your unconditional heart to heart and shoulder to shoulder stand and support across all times for MY PEOPLE and for our JUST and RIGHTFUL cause. What is happening in Gaza is just a small fraction compared to what is happening in and around the Muslim Arab World - from conspiring, death of our people and destruction of our historic civilization, culture, modern cities, towns and infrastructure.

Our entire Muslim - Arab world and Africa as a continent are under savage, ruthless and barbaric attack [militarily and economically] by the Zionists and the Western World, sadly we have our leaders turning a blind eye in full support and enriching themselves from all that is happening, they are executive planners and decision makers integral members of this conspiracy on our Muslim - Arab world and our people.

In order for us, to liberate our lands from the occupying satanic foreign forces, free our people and grant them the honor and dignity of being masters, leaders, commanders and decision makers of their own lives, we must to form strategies, work hard and sacrifice for the RE-ESTABLISHMENT of the MUSLIM KHILAFAH [VICEREGENCY] across all over our territorial lands, meaning: ONE MUSLIM WORLD [NO BORDERS, NO TRAVELING RESTRICTIONS], ONE MUSLIM PASSPORT, ONE MUSLIM GOVERNMENT, ONE MUSLIM POLICY and ONE MUSLIM CURRENCY. This is what we must be working towards achieving, and surely to achieve such objective, we desperately need and require the help and assistant of our ANC Stalwart forebrothers in Fight for Freedom and Independence.

I commend you on your stand and support to our rightful cause, may the Lord God Bless the breaths you inhale, may the South African sand for ever be fertile and produce men like your good-selves, may the sun for ever shine in the skies of Tatta Madiba's Land to keep your hearts and souls for ever warm, filled with love and passion for Human Justice, Freedom and Equality. Amen, Amen, Amen.

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