Volume 8 No 2 - April/May 1999

5 REASONS FOR EVERY
WORKER TO VOTE

Contents

EDITORIAL COMMMENT

By the time you receive this edition of The Shopsteward magazine there will be just a few days before the second democratic elections.

I hope that all of you without exception have contributed to the victory of the ANC in the elections. The 2nd June 1999 elections are as important as the 1994 elections. These elections will determine whether the changes that we have seen in the past five years will continue or will be reversed or stalled. They are about ensuring consolidation of the national democratic revolution including addressing some of the weaknesses we inherited from a negotiated settlement.

For workers the elections will determine whether the progressive labour legislation and transformation of the labour market will continue or will be dumped for so called labour market flexibility which is a cone word for reversal of the gains that workers made in the past four year.

We are happy at the energy that thousands of COSATU cadres put in the election campaign. We believe that the result of election in most areas will reflect this dedicated commitment of this work. I believe that the democratic movement will triumph on the 2nd June 1999. That is not the challenge, the real challenge is to win decisively in all provinces in particular in Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal. As we do the last mop-up operation lets not indulge in any form of arrogance but on strategic work to convince the working class that their interests can only be served by returning the ANC into power with even greater majority.

Let me also remind you that the elections also served to remind ourselves of the immense challenges the country is faced with. Unemployment remains the challenge number one together with ensuring that we defeat the HIV/AIDS scourge that threatens to wipe the future generation. I want to thank all COSATU members and others who had already contributed to the Job Creation Fund. Those who have not done so should intensify their efforts of ensuring that workers of our country extend a hand of solidarity to those who are in desperate situation, who either lost their jobs or who never worked in their lives.

I thank all those who participated in the last train that went to Free State, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal in order to help get the nation educated and mobilised for the greatest struggle we face - the HIV/AIDS. Thanks to all those who came in thousands to receive the moving train conference delegates in all stations. I must single out NEHAWU who not only led this campaign but which provided resources in order to ensure that this partnership lives.

Most of you know by now that COSATU shall hold a special national Congress on the 18 - 20 August 1999. The next edition shall in the main dedicated into debates of the Congress. We hope that you shall live up of the challenge of ensuring that the Congress pronounces itself in all areas that you want it to address.

Zwelinzima Vavi
Acting General Secretary

LETTERS

Write to The Shopsteward to give your views on how to deepen transformation in our country or any other issues and debates on Cosatu's agenda. Send your letters to:

The Shopsteward
P.O. Box 1019
Johannesburg 2000

Dear Comrades,

The Jubilee 2000 campaign has been launched across the world in 46 countries. This campaign calls for the scrapping of all debt. Africa spends twice as much paying debts to creditors than it does on basic health care. The burden of paying debts is stamping out hope for the future. In South Africa, the government is paying back a debt of over R300 billion built up under apartheid. In effect, South Africans are paying twice for apartheid!

The apartheid regime used much of this borrowed money not only to keep apartheid going in South Africa, but also to wage wars against our comrades in neighbouring states. The regime's destabilisation of the Southern Africa region has been estimated to have caused physical destruction to the amount of R500 billion and to have claimed over 2 million victims.

There is an international principle that says that banks who lend money to illegitimate governments which is used to oppress progressive opposition, cannot expect the next democratic governments to pay back the debt. South Africa has already applied this principle of 'odious debt' by cancelling the money owed to the apartheid government by Namibia.

Government debt is a massive drain on our national finances. This year's budget set aside R48.2 billion to pay for the debt. The interest increases every year - last year it was R42.5 billion.

This is more than twice the amount spent on health, would create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and would wipe out the money owed by all the students of South Africa more than 50 times over. In Cape Town, workers are suffering because train services have been cut to save money. In Johannesburg, workers are suffering and even dying because of cuts to the ambulance services. In the rural areas, women are still walking 20 kilometres every day to fetch water. Yet the interest on the debt alone could provide thousands of safe and affordable trains, taps and ambulances across the country!

Over ninety organisations joined the Jubilee 2000 campaign at the launch last year. From churches to NGO's to rural people's movement - the debt repayments affect us all. COSATU's Provincial Chairperson in the Western Cape and delegates from CWIU, SAMWU, FAWU and NEHAWU also attended the launch.

There are organising committees across the country who need your help. You can contact them at:

Gauteng, call David Letsie at 011 6487000
KwaZulu-Natal, call Sikhalo at Fatima Meer's office at 031 2619301
Welkom, call Brant Ntako 057 352 3759
East London, call Sarah Hugow at 0431 43 7725 or Nontebeko Moletsane on 0431 43 5419
Pietersburg, call Vonani Bila at 015 295 3542
Cape Town, call Zukile Tom at 021 4622417
Northern Cape, call Peter Groves on 0259 821 1890

The committees meet regularly and plan to visit the rural areas to where-ever they are invited. So don't delay - join the Jubilee 2000 campaign and help free South Africa from the chains of apartheid debt!

Anna Weekes, SAMWU

Comrade Ladies on the move

I thank all the Comrades Ladies in my Local, Welkom Local, for the support they have given we LEC members and Office Bearers. They understand the COSATU slogan, Ôan injury to one is an injury to all'. They have given full support to COSATU's programme of action and Saccawu's campaigns. They sacrifice for a lot for our local. Unlike many other unions in South Africa, Saccawu has a female majority. There are a number of areas we need to look at in relation to the rights of women:

• Throughout Africa, women are the poorest people
• The South African government's white paper on welfare says that poverty can be addressed partly through social grants. Other Departments are looking at the issue of gender in their programmes and activities.
• It is the task of Civil Society to ensure that policies are implemented.
• Child labour and teenage pregnancies are a big problem in South Africa. The Department of Education should provide education on contraception and family planning.
• The office of the Status of Women also has a critical role to play.

Saccawu/COSATU was instrumental in lobbying for the establishment of women's committees. Saccawu has a rich history of taking up women's struggles.

We must give our full support to the women's movement. We must also ensure that a second layer of leadership is developed, Our regions should use socio-economic and political issues to build women's leadership. We, the leadership of the Welkom local, will make sure that all lady comrades attend training and workshops.

Bra Sammy 'Mighty' Baatjies.

Vote for the ANC

We must all vote for the people's organisation (ANC). It is the most powerful party which can bring peace, justice, stability and democracy in this country. It has fought against white minority domination and is continuing to do that.

Never mind about those people who blame the ANC. In a short period, it has done a lot. People are now living in their own houses. The National Party governed this country for many years, but there was no change for black, disadvantaged people. From 1994 to 1999, the ANC has made many changes.

One major problem is that some of the old people don't know Thabo Mbeki. I would like to ask Comrade Deputy President to come and campaign in this province, Mphumalanga, so that they can know him when they see his picture on the ballot paper.

I will vote for the ANC, Amandla.

Let us not give them (UDM, NNP, IFP etc) an opportunity to take us back to dark city of apartheid.

Benjamin Cele-Nkabinde, NUM Secretary,
Spitzkop Colliery

Words of wisdom

The following extract from a speech by Abraham Lincoln, a man for all race groups, deserves the widest publicity in this troubled country of ours:

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help small men by tearing big men down. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

"You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot establish sound social security on borrowed money.

"You cannot build character and courage by toning away a man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

Right now the world needs another Lincoln. The 'new' South Africa, in particular, needs to heed his words of wisdom.

Poetry