SA labour body to show Mbeki ZCTU torture video

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SA labour body to show Mbeki ZCTU torture video
BY VIOLET GONDA

JOHANNESBURG Recent video footage showing last month’s brutalisation of labour leaders by the police has sent shock waves around the world. The footage which was shown recently on BBC 2’s Newsnight programme in the UK was also released in South Africa this week by the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA). Leader of the federation Mary Malete is reported to have said she would use the footage to urge President Thabo Mbeki to break his silence on Zimbabwe after giving him the film.

Analysts say the planned demonstrations by the ZCTU might have failed to take of but succeeded in exposing the large-scale repression in Zimbabwe. The labour movement was demonstrating for a better standard of living and working conditions.

Meanwhile Pat Craven the spokesperson of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) said his trade union is in full support of this initiative and will also be sharing the video around for South Africans to see the extent of the crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

He said; “It is absolutely shocking to see the way in which the police attacked a group of peaceful trade union demonstrators who were trying to organise a march on issues of unemployment and poverty. We had already heard many reports (of the beatings) but seeing it on video really brought home the appalling brutality of the Mugabe regime.”

Craven said what was worse was Mugabe’s statements after he returned to Zimbabwe where he said the labour leaders deserved everything they got for demonstrating against his policies. “And so I hope this will bring to the attention of the world the serious attack on basic trade union rights which is being perpetrated by the government of Zimbabwe.” – SW Radio Africa