The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has called on governments of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to take action against Swaziland in response to the killing of Swazi democracy activist Sipho Jele.
COASTU issued the following press release yesterday (17 May 2010).
COSATU calls for global mobilisation to isolate Swazi regime for cold-blooded murder of worker and PUDEMO activist, Sipho Jele, and refusal to allow him decent funeral in his own land.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions has been actively involved in the struggle for democracy and workers rights in Swaziland. We have been in the forefront of supporting the trade union movement and all progressive forces in general, particularly the SFTU, PUDEMO and SWAYOCO as the worst victims of King Mswati’s tinkhundla brutality in that country.
True to the character of the ruling system, this year’s May Day was turned into a battle zone by the bloodthirsty security forces of the Mswati regime. Their desperate hunt for anything with the name PUDEMO or SWAYOCO printed on it led to the arrest of the humble, yet gallant freedom fighter, worker activist and cadre of the Swazi revolution, Sipho Jele.
He has lived a life of perpetual suffering and persecution for his firm belief in freedom and democracy. He spared no energy organising his people to restore the dignity of the whole Swazi nation from years of royal slavery in the name of Swazi culture.
On that fateful day when he was taken away from the May Day celebrations into the prison cell, he was in good health, only to die a few days later under mysterious circumstances. The state tried to hide the real nature of the death by calling it suicide, which in all probability would not fit the description. From our own experience here at home of apartheid killings, we know the tricks of brutal security forces and their petty political gimmicks to try and deflect attention by creating stories and endless public relations deception.
Many commentators and organisations, particularly the Swaziland Democracy Campaign and Swazi progressive forces in general, have therefore called it by its real name - cold blooded murder! A young man denied his future by a ruthless system of greedy parasites was killed for wearing a t-shirt of his choice by a system bent on destroying every trace of human dignity and justice.
It has taken away every possibility for a better future for workers and young people in particular. In its desperate attempt to cling to power it has implanted elements of corruption, systemic poverty and abuse, and even killing as part of a normal life in that society that have turned the whole country into an oasis of permanent pain and suffering.
The worst example of their desperation was to stop the funeral of Sipho Jele as his family, friends, community and comrades paid their last respects to the fallen hero. The amount of pain caused to the family is untold, so is the pain to his comrades.
We must affirm that Sipho has a right to be buried anywhere in his country. We say hands off the Jele family which has already suffered far too much in the hands of the Swazi security forces who tried to bribe the family into burying him in silence to deny him even of what remained of his dignity then.
The greatest crime of all is the deafening silence from all who claim to profess the ideals and practice of democracy even in our own country. This is a shame we must refuse to endorse, either through our silence or through our double standards in finding nice ways to keep our comfort zones while our neighbourhood is on fire. We call upon the South African and all SADC governments to take action now.
We salute the international trade union movement and the world community of progressive patriots for standing firm in demanding justice and freedom for the Swazi people. We add our voice to the demand for an independent inquest and for the prosecution of all involved in this act of murder.
It cannot be acceptable that workers’ rights to associate with organisations of their choice, be they political or otherwise, must be killed merely for that. It cannot be acceptable that workers should be arrested on their day, May Day, for wearing clothes of their choice or colours of their choice.
We have allowed the Swazi regime too much space to continue its ruthless agenda against workers and the poor. Now is the time for more decisive action. In this regard, we support the picket called by the Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC) scheduled for this coming Friday, 21st May, in Johannesburg at the Swazi consulate, to highlight our collective anger at this act of barbarism.
We also support the call for a Global Swazi Democracy March to take place inside the country in September. True to the traditions of international solidarity, we all must share in the pains and suffering of the people in their own backyard.
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