CEPPWAWU SUPPORTS SWAZI ACTION

Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU), South Africa

Statement

5 September 2011

CEPPWAWU Supports the workers of Swaziland

The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union-CEPPWAWU add its voice to support the activities taking place in Swaziland under the auspices of the Swaziland United Democratic Front and the liberation movement.

The 2nd Global Week of Action on Swaziland is an opportunity for activist around the world to demonstrate their hatred for dictatorships, oppression, women abuse, child abuse and abuse of people’s culture. It must be an opportunity to demonstrate human solidarity and compassion. It is an opportunity for internationalists to exercise that noble practice of feeling the pains and sufferings of other peoples elsewhere.

The SDC gave a moving address to the delegates of our congress during the international solidarity evening session; which once again clarified to us that the situation in Swaziland calls for serious interventions. Emerging out of our 4th National Congress which was held from 30August-2 September in Durban, congress fully supported the call for democratisation in Swaziland with our declaration in part stating that, “Congress also notes the suffering of the people of other countries such as Somalia, Western Sahara, Cuba, Palestine, Swaziland and Burma to mention but a few. Congress has instructed the new leadership to ensure that all the resolutions taken in this congress are implemented without exception.”

CEPPWAWU will intensify its support for the democratic forces of Swaziland as led by PUDEMO. We will continue to work with our allies in the trade union movement and be part of programmes planned and led by our federation COSATU on the Swazi issue.

Our demands are echoes of the demands of the people of Swaziland which are:

Unban PUDEMO and ALL other political parties

Unconditional return of all political exiles

Unconditional release of all political prisoners who include the president of the youth wing of PUDEMO

A democratically constituted national convention

Democratic elections

We call on the Swaziland Democracy Campaign to escalate its global activities and on our part we will lobby our partners across the world to play a part.

Issued by International Department of CEPPWAWU

UNION CONDEMNS ACTIVIST KILLING

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.

SOURCE

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