Man Called Juda

The late Comrade Juda Tsotetsi passed away recently at the age of 35. His funeral in Witbank yesterday was like a summit meeting of senior office bearers of the most important political institutions of South Africa. In the compilation linked below are the funeral programme, the obituary, and a political history of the late Comrade Juda. The presence of the General Secretaries of the SACP and COSATU, the Deputy President of the ANC, the President of the ANCYL, the National Secretary of the YCL, and others too numerous to mention here, did not seem to attract the attention of the press. Instead, all three main Sunday papers (Sunday Times, Independent, and City Press) lead their front pages with the usual “revelations” leaked by the Scorpions/NPA and designed to smear Jacob Zuma as guilty even before his trial starts tomorrow. SACP GS Blade Nzimande will address a COSATU rally in Rustenburg today. This is bound to be a significant speech, being in the middle of an election campaign. See notice linked below. Jacob Zuma’s trial on Monday needs to be over one way or another so that the rest of the legal business that has hung over his head for so many years can be processed without distraction. His opponents have little to lose from making the process messy and difficult, through inappropriate and obstructive interventions. These tactics have been deployed all along by the NPA-Scorpions. See linked articles below. There will be a selection from the Sunday papers here tomorrow. The Swaziland Solidarity Network has called a briefing for 09h30 next Thursday, February 16th. This clashes with the CSVR’s consultative meeting on the March 18th Iraq peace event announced here yesterday, which is to take place in the CSVR boardroom in Braamfontein at 10h00 on the same day. If an adjustment is announced to either meeting it will be repeated here. Otherwise, we must just try to manage. As the struggle intensifies we become obliged to develop the capacity to work on many campaigns in parallel. Links: A man called Juda - Cde Juda Tsotetsi, 1971-2006, Compilation (1938 words) SACP GS Blade Nzimande to address COSATU rally 10h00 Feb 12 (140 words) Row brews over Zuma trial judge, CBD braced, Star (1022 words) SSN, invitation to political briefing on Swaziland, 09h30 Feb 16 (180 words)