17 May Protest Marches 15-05-08

 

17 May Protest marches

COSATU, the South African Communist Party, the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum in South Africa, the Swaziland Solidarity Network, the Young Communist League, the South African NGO Coalition, Disabled People of South Africa, the Treatment Action Campaign, the Anti-Privatisation Forum and other civil society organisations have organised marches, to be held on Saturday 17 May in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, and many other towns, on three of the most burning issues of the day, Zimbabwe, rising food prices, and the new issue of the outbreak of violent xenophobic attacks on residents of Alexandra.

Zimbabwe

The people of Zimbabwe are facing a massive challenge. Despite high levels of intimidation, media bias, out of-date voters' rolls and banning of party rallies, on 29 March they voted for change and rejected the rule of ZANU-PF. It was a triumph for democracy. The opposition MDC won the majority of seats in Parliament and are convinced that they also won the presidential vote.

The result announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission however gave no candidate a 50%+ vote and now, in the face of even worse violence, the people face a run-off election. If this run-off election is to truly express the will of the people it will be essential to have a bigger and more effective team of local and international observers and we shall be urging the South African and other SADC governments to do everything in their power to ensure that the election is not stolen thorough violence, intimidation or vote-rigging.

More then ever the people of Zimbabwe also need international support from democratic forces in Africa and the World. That is why we are marching on Saturday, to show our support for their right to elect a government of their choice. The will of the majority must be sovereign and a government elected by the people must be allowed to rule.

Food prices

The rocketing price of food and other essential goods over the past few months has been devastating. The majority of South Africans are considerably worse off than a year ago and the poorest face hunger and malnutrition.

The situation is even worse as a result of criminal price-fixing, which has already been proved in the bread and dairy sectors. Greedy companies, under cover of the global price rises, are getting together to put up their prices even higher, so they can make even bigger profits at the expense of their consumers. This theft of the poor by the rich must be ruthlessly stamped out.

Urgent steps must be taken to cushion the poorest families by raising social grants and minimum wages of workers covered by sectoral determinations. All basic foods must be VAT zero-rated. Land reform must be speeded up to make more land available for food production. The world trade system must be reformed to end the rampant profiteering by the big, subsidised farmers and food companies of the rich Northern countries at the expense of the farmers, workers and consumers of the rest of the world.

So join the marches on 17 May and let your voices be heard.

Xenophobia

The violent, xenophobic attacks on foreigners taking place in Alexandra this week and those which have occurred previously in Diepsloot, Atteridgeville and elsewhere must be condemned unconditionally. It is such an urgent matter that we shall be adding it to the issues to be raised on the marches.

The underlying causes of xenophobia are the intolerable levels of poverty, unemployment and crime, and the shortage of housing, in poor communities. People's frustration is understandable, but there can be no excuse for placing the blame for these problems on immigrants who have been forced to flee from even worse conditions in other parts of Africa, especially Zimbabwe. The poor working-class South African and immigrant people have a common interest in fighting to improve their conditions and fighting each other will only make the problems even worse.

The details of the marches are attached.

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: patrick@cosatu.org.za