The following is a statement from the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU) of South Africa, dated 6 May 201, concerning the death in a Swaziland jail of democracy activist Sipho Jele.
CEPPWAWU condemns brutal murder of Swazi worker
6 May 2010
The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU) joins thousands of other workers in condemning the brutal murder of a Swazi worker by the state police. Comrade Sipho Jele was arrested by the Swazi police on workers day for proudly wearing his PUDEMO t-shirt. In terms of the draconian laws of Swaziland, PUDEMO is a terrorist organisation and is therefore banned. Two days after his arrest, cde Jele was dead. The police rushed to his family to try to get him buried the next day. In a rushed statement through the state owned radio, the police said Jele committed suicide. This is clearly a political assassination inside Mswati's jails.
CEPPWAWU sends condolences to our ally the Swaziland Agricultural and Plantations Workers Union-SAPWU (where Jele was a member as employed by SAPPI), the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions-SFTU, the liberation movement PUDEMO and he Swaziland United Democratic Front-SUDF. We call for more unity of the progressive forces in Swaziland and on our part we will continue to forge strong ties with SAPWU and play our part in the newly launched Swaziland Democracy Campaign. We will raise the call for the unbanning of political parties in Swaziland.
To his family,
Your son's blood shall water the tree of freedom. And it is at such time that it must be very obvious that freedom does not come cheap.
To the South African Government we call for intervention in the continuous murders taking place in Swaziland. We call on South Africa to exert diplomatic pressure on the tiny kingdom to democratise. In solidarity with the people of Swaziland we call on trade unions across the world to heed the global call for the non-handling of good to and from Swaziland.
Sikhumbuzo Phakathi, International Relations Officer, CEPPWAWU
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