Cosatu condemns vigilantes 10-08-07

 

COSATU condemns vigilantes

The Congress of South African Trade Unions condemns the activities reportedly being carried out by vigilante farmers in Limpopo Province, to 'arrest' Zimbabwean 'illegal immigrants', force them into bakkies and hand them over to the SAPS for deportation.

According to a BBC report, these so-called "green-light police" are armed, well organised and well equipped with walkie-talkies and flashing lights on their trucks. They "organise patrols that go deep into the bush more than 50km from the border, rounding up anyone who appears to have crossed the border illegally".

If this report is true, these 'green-light police' are acting illegally and denying people their right to fair treatment. COSATU agrees with Limpopo Province Police Commissioner, Calvin Sengani, that the farmers should stick to farming and stop taking the law into their own hands - "they are impairing people's rights when they tie them. That is committing assault". We demand that his officers arrest and charge those responsible for these assaults.

The alleged actions of these vigilante farmers are reminiscent of the conduct of white farm commandos in the years of apartheid, which used to terrorise the local African communities. There is no place for such behaviour in the new South Africa.

As the federation said in its statement for Human Rights Day 2007, thousands of Zimbabwean workers are fleeing into South Africa to escape poverty, hunger and attacks on human rights at the hands of the Mugabe government. Many of them are being exploited as cheap labour; even skilled workers have been forced to take on menial jobs on farms, in restaurants or as security guards.

COSATU insists that people fleeing from Zimbabwe have the right to be treated with exactly the same level of dignity and respect as South Africans, regardless of their legal status. As our statement said: "These and all other immigrant workers are entitled to the same human rights enshrined in our constitution as indigenous workers. They must not be discriminated against in any way". They must be given the same protection under the labour laws and the right to appeal for asylum or refugee status, and to be given a fair hearing.

Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)
Congress of South African Trade Unions
1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets
Braamfontein, 2017

P.O.Box 1019
Johannesburg, 2000
SOUTH AFRICA

Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24
Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667
Cell: 0828217456
E-Mail: patr...@cosatu.org.za