In the last issue of Shop Steward, we reported briefly on a Cosatu Western Cape initiative to fight back against crime. In this article, cde Rachel Visser, Sactwu’s media officer gives more details on the campaign and explains where it is.
The dominance of gangs has 'locked' in workers, communities and their children across the Cape Flats area and greater Western Cape. Communities have become no-go zones. The fear of falling victim to the terrible crimes of these criminals has made people unable and scared to fight back. Until recently!
Cosatu Western Cape region held their Regional Congress in April in year. Crime was rife in our communities. Workers and people in general were scared to get onto trains to get to their workplaces, scared to leave their homes over weekends, scared to do the normal things families do, and scared to even help victims of crimes. Workers raised their concerns in general meetings and asked the shopstewards for help.
Sactwu put forward a resolution to the Congress. Delegates debated the issue. "We believe that the South African Police Services in the Western Cape don't know how to solve the problem. The federation must now step in," said delegates.
A detailed report on the 1997 Peace Summit was tabled at the congress. The recommendations of the Summit formed part of the final resolution adopted by all affiliates. A Commission on gang violence was formed. This tasked a sub-committee to put together ideas on how to collectively combat gang violence.
This sub-committee consists of Cosatu, Community Police Forums, Ngos, religious groups, Sports Associations and State Departments i.e. Police, Welfare, Education, Provincial Government, Justice etc. The committee felt that they couldn't be prescriptive on how to address the problem and came up with a short, medium and long-term strategy. (see box)
The commission felt that if the campaign was going to be successful, there must first be stability in the affected communities in the short to medium term. Co-operation and co-ordination of the State Departments was essential. This would give communities the necessary space within which to organise.
Many meetings followed and a plan agreed upon. The campaign would have particular phases:
Train campaign
The train campaign had 2 purposes:
We formed a committee comprising shopstewards and officials of all affiliates, members of Metro rail and officials of the South African Police. We held meetings to prepare our shopstewards to address the commuters on the trains. When the wheels were set in motion, about 300 shopstewards and officials paraded the trains and stations on the last Friday of every month.
Commuters and the ordinary public were surprised at the presence of our yellow-apron clad shop stewards on the trains. They listened with interest to our campaign.
The campaign is an ongoing event and has been successful thus far. "However" says, Anthony Diederich (Toon), Cosatu Regional Organiser, "we experienced major problems with time off for shop stewards which had a major effect on the success and future of the campaign, but we are determined to continue irrespective of the problems", he said.
Gang violence
The aim of this leg of the campaign is to:
The region has been actively involved in this campaign through the mass media, in the communities, and also in the factories. Cosatu's voice and presence has scared and affected the gangsters to such an extent that they reacted in the only way they knew best.
Mario Wanza (Provincial Secretary) of Num represented Cosatu as the Regional Co-ordinator in this campaign. He has been actively involved with the fight against crime, within our communities and in crime prevention structures.
On the evening of 10 October this year, his house was attacked by masked men. He and his family were held hostage, he was badly beaten and sustained injuries to his head and shoulders. They took his car and other personal belongings and threatened him with further violence if he and Cosatu continue speaking out in the media and within the communities against gangsterism and crime prevention.
"I know there is a lot of danger surrounding us in this campaign, but we have no other alternative if we want to protect ourselves, our children and our communities", said Mario.
"We will continue to work towards a crime free country. It is our duty towards those innocent victims and for the future of the next generation", he said passionately.
The way forward
Since submitting the memorandum to the Western Cape government, "we believe that they have done nothing to address our demands," says Cosatu Western Cape regional secretary.
Cosatu will now proceed with a Section 77 application in terms of the Lra. This sets out the procedures for organising protest action to promote or defend the socio-economic interests of workers.
Rachel Visser
Sactwu Media officer
Short-term
Medium term
Long-term
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