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18 October 2013

 

 

COSATU condemns murder of NUM official

 

 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions vehemently condemns the murder of
the Branch Chairperson at the National Union of Mineworkers at Lonmin's
Western Platinum mine. We send a message of condolence to his family and his
fellow workers at the mine and in his community, who are mourning the loss
of a workers' leader, a friend and a staunch comrade.

 

It is reported that he was shot eight times while driving, between 19h00 and
20h00 on 17 October 2013, in what was clearly a targeted attack. As NUM
spokesman Lesiba Seshoka says: "He was killed last night in what appears to
be a resurgence of violence in the area."

 

This resurgence is happening despite the signing of a Framework Agreement
for a Sustainable Mining Industry on 3 July this year, in which government,
employers and most unions acknowledged that "we face an immediate crisis of
violence and anarchy in and around the mines which has already cost far too
many lives and it still is putting lives in danger.

 

The signatories agreed that "the police, the intelligence service and the
courts must act effectively and without delay to bring those guilty of
violent crimes to justice. Impunity must be rooted out and the confidence in
the justice system restored. Government must implement these measures
without any further delay."

 

Despite this, the murders have continued and the culture of impunity has not
been eliminated. Workers and communities live in constant fear, and have
been denied their fundamental human right to move freely without fear of
attack.

 

COSATU endorses the belief of its North West Provincial Secretary that some
of this violence continues "because some organisations were reluctant to
sign the agreement brokered by the president and this shows that they were
never committed to bringing peace and stability in the area".

The federation insists that the SAPS must move with maximum speed to track
down those responsible for this brutal assassination. They be arrested,
brought to justice and severely sentenced.

 

Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)

Congress of South African Trade Unions

 

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