COSATU Today 18 March 2009
Patrick Craven
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Published by the Congress of South African Trade Unions
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COSATU’s Spokesperson is: Patrick Craven
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- COSATU Today -
Our side of the story
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Contents
1.1 COSATU Free State Provincial Executive Committee
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
3.1 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 patric...@yahoo.com
