Verdict: Not Guilty!

The ANC-SACP-COSATU Alliance position of “innocent until proven guilty” was a brave, principled and dignified stand and all concerned have every right to be proud of themselves, now that the trial is over. All those who rushed out with intemperate statements during the trial have been made to look stupid. The masses are not fooled and the country is full of joy today following the acquittal of Jacob Zuma. The corruption cased that lies ahead for Msholozi is already cracked and tatty since the prosecution double-crossed their former witnesses. The Thint company had previously been given immunity in return for standing up the phoney “fax” from the waste-paper basket, used in the conviction of Schabir Shaik. Thint sold itself. Now, after all, it is to be charged. Its evidence is tainted and worthless. Even more crucially the State President, Thabo Mbeki admitted (conveniently too late for the Shaik trial), that he and not Zuma was the author of a memorandum which constituted the other main piece of evidence that Hilary Squires used to convict Shaik and to smear Jacob Zuma in absentia with the cheap insinuendo of a “generally corrupt relationship”. The Zuma corruption trial is going to turn back upon his accusers, just as the Zuma rape trial did. COSATU’s Pat Craven writes: “The After-Eight Debate on SAFM at 08h05 tomorrow, 9 May, in on the question: “Should Jacob Zuma continue as President of the ANC?” You can join in by phoning 0891 104 207. Please do!” The historic united Alliance statement on the Zuma acquittal is linked below together with that of the Young Communist League. Jon Qwelane reveals a second in-camera news briefing (recalling the infamous briefing of “senior black journalists in which Jacob Zuma and others were secretly smeared by the Scorpions/NPA). See link. In the United States, the United Steelworkers’ Union is up against the South African company SAPPI, in a united action with our CEPPWAWU. See link Once again there are far too many notable things happening to be covered in this daily educational selection. For example an in no particular order: NEHAWU (the South African Health Workers’ Union has released a statement in celebration and support of the Jacob Zuma (which will presumably appear later on their web site). Hundreds of FAWU members and supporters are to participate in a massive protest march at 10h00 today Tuesday 9 May 2006 in Paarl in support of about 300 striking workers at the Pioneer Foods’ Klipheuwel (Durbanville) plant. And among the enormous number of report in the ANC Daily News Briefing is President Thabo Mbeki’s appointment of Safety and Security minister Charles Nqakula as a facilitator for the Burundi peace process. This difficult mission was previously, and skillfully, headed by Jacob Zuma. Nqakula is Chairperson of the SACP. Also from Mbeki and from the same ANC feed, this quote: “…as far as I am concerned the next president of South Africa should be a woman," (Mbeki told hundreds of women in Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State last Friday). In the Business Day its editor Peter Bruce in his personal column Thick End of the Wedge yesterday admitted: “BEE merely changes the colour of the economy, not the way it works.” So it is remarkable to receive from Dale McKinley a rant to the effect that nothing we the Communists and our alliance can do stands comparison with his friends the APF, whose web site has not been updated since December. Dale claims that these struggles don’t need the Internet or, apparently, any other manifestation in the general public realm – yet for him, for example, all the workers’ struggles led by COSATU are insignificant by comparison, and not worthy of mention. This is what is called “delusion of grandeur”. He is also notably hostile to political education. See link below. Click on these links: Alliance on judgment, ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma case (566 words) YCL statement on the ANC Deputy President rape trial verdict (517 words) The plot to get Zuma, Jon Qwelane, News24 (527 words) United Steelworkers rally to demand justice at SAPPI USA (267 word) South Africa today according to Dr Dale T McKinley (462 words)