Get It Straight

The SACP lays it down concerning the law: our law, our law enforcement, and our courts, which are being messed up by people playing irresponsible games. The latest is that Gerrie Nel walks away from his charges without the Judge even being asked his opinion: “Withdrawn”! See the first item, linked below.

COSATU does keep working-class concerns in the public conscience, no matter what anybody may say to the contrary. Today’s statement on the bread price hike is a good example. See the second link.

Sakhela Buhlungu, the eternally hopeful would-be debunker of COSATU, is indeed saying the contrary. See the next article, from the Eastern Cape Herald. Buhlungu seems to spend most of his time sticking pins into images of COSATU, only coming out once or twice a year to utter a stream of miserable denunciation.

Still, this makes an occasion for the Herald’s Labour Correspondent, Mawande Jack, to construct a short virtual dialogue between Buhlungu, NUMSA General Secretary Silumko Nondwangu, and COSATU GS Zwelinzima Vavi, and even to bring in the APF. Good journalism – see the link below.

One of 2008’s first strikes involves the Zebedelia brick works. This enterprise is associated with Sonny Leshika, once in charge of the tailoring shop at the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College in Mazimbu, Morogoro, Tanzania. That was in the early 1980s. If you are reading this, Sonny, you’d better know that it’s time to start paying people properly and recognising a union! See the fourth item below.

The Communist University has been honoured with a direct response from National Administrative Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain (CPB), Ben Stevenson, concerning the so-called “CPGB” and its on-line publication, the “Weekly Worker”. Its origins also go back to the 1980s, when the old CPGB broke up.

Cde Ben concludes: “In our view and that of most socialists and communists in Britain, the 'CPGB' has nothing to do with the Communist movement past or present. While this in itself needs not invalidate their ideas and policies, it does signify their fundamental duplicity in trying to pass themselves off – with little success – as part of the Communist tradition in Britain and the international Communist movement.”

January 26th is a day of action for the Palestinian people of Gaza, whose entire population is being systematically tortured by the Israelis, and steadily killed. The lead event will take place there, at one of the vile Israeli roadblocks on the border. See the linked flyer.

See also the Coming Events page. Don’t forget the listed CHI event on Friday at 10h30 in COSATU House.

Click on these links:

Our criminal justice system, SACP Media Release (669 words)

Bread price rise, COSATU Media Release (410 words)

‘COSATU neglects workers for national politics’, Mawande Jack, Herald (353 words)

Workers down tools at Zebedelia, Frank Maponya, Sowetan (362 words)

Communist Party of Britain on bogus CPGB and Weekly Worker (494 words)

Gaza lift the blockade, convoy, 26 January 2008 (flyer)

Coming Events