FAWU
*FAWU Press Statement, 17 January 2013* *Visit to Robbertson and De Doorns*/and visit to the family of the person who died from alleged police shooting at De Doorns/
Following the visit of the General Secretary of the Food and Allied Workers Union [FAWU], Katishi Masemola, to farm workers at Robbertson and De Doorns and a meeting with the family of the person allegedly murdered by police FAWU hereby makes the following call
Firstly, FAWU call on the Independent Police Investigations Directorate (IPID) to conduct their investigations without fear and favour and to ensure that all witnesses are placed with the safety of witness protection custody as the life of an innocent person, a 25 year-old Thakoane, cannot be regarded as cheap, especially given allegations that he was 'kidnapped' from a spaza shop he was working at, assaulted, shot point-blank range, and dumped in a ditch for death.
Part of such investigations should include an interview with medical team that operated on Mr Thakoane, to try remove a rubber-bullet or whatever bullet that was stuck above his right eye in the head, at Worcester hospital and analysis of the pathologist report in this regard.
We call on the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the investigations of this alleged police brutality. We call on all witnesses and those who may have made investigations, be it investigative journalists and human rights activists, to come forward and make submissions.
Meanwhile, FAWU notes the call made by COSATU W Cape for the suspension of the strike but believes workers must be consulted and canvassed with as we cannot treat them like a tap to be switched on and off. Part of the 'hard-sell' to workers should be to sell a concrete tangible, be it commitment to genuinely negotiate, with processes/timelines and 'ball-park' figures, or an understanding on an improved offer on the table.
FAWU will be approaching workers from this perspective and will not decree workers to go back to work or suspend a strike. FAWU will merely encourage workers to consider doing so but need to have tangible to sell to workers.
Given the above, FAWU calls on farm owners to join the positive move, demonstrated by Mr De Kock, a farm owner who made a concrete proposal to hike minimum wages from R69-a-day to R110-a-day, and engage in a genuine process of meaning negotiations.
We remain steadfast in our call for peaceful and violence-free strike actions and for an end to police brutality and for farm owners not to evict farm workers or even dismiss those who may choose to go back to work.
* **Katishi Masemola**** **FAWU General Secretary** ******Please call the General Secretary at 082 467 2509 or the Deputy General Secretary, Moleko Phakedi, at 082 492 5111 for more information.*
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