Mayekiso Free!
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Published by the New York Labor Committee Against Apartheid c/o CWA Local 1180, 6 Harrison St ., New York 10013 VICTORY! MAYEKISO FREE! In a stinging defeat for the South African government, union leader Moses Mayekiso has been acquitted of treason, and alternate charges of sedi- tion and subversion, after a two year trial. On April 24, Mayekiso was set free along with four co-defendants, Paul Tshabala, Richard Mdakane, Obed Bapela, and Mzwanele Mayekiso, his brother. The verdict ended up as an indictment of the government instead of the accused. Mayekiso and his co-defendants had been leaders in community or- ganizing efforts to improve conditions in Alexandra Township during a resurgence of anti-apartheid activism in April 1986. The government Khola and Moses Mayekiso celebrate his release on bail prior to full claimed such organizing constituted acquittal on treason charges this April. an attempt to overthrow the state. However, the judge in the case was tivism in the labor movement. While Committee Against Apartheid held clearly appalled at the stark poverty the apartheid regime has seldom two support rallies and sent several facing blacks in the township and ac- needed much pretext for repression, thousand postcards. knowledged that their exclusion from the verdict here may make showcase International labor agitation around political rights contributed to unrest. trials a less effective tactic. the case was directly credited with im- The verdict was also critical of police The case also tested the "legality" of proving jail conditions for the defen- conduct during a vigilante attack in building independent, democratic dants and securing their release on bail Alexandra that cost seventeen lives structures within black communities, last December, after nearly three years that April. such as street committees, people's in prison. Many observers felt that courts, rent boycotts, and protest cam- solidarity efforts had a major impact Far-reaching Trial paigns against the police and puppet on the careful conduct of the trial and township councils . The judge's view the unusual verdict. The Mayekiso victory may be far- that these were understandable reaching on several counts . It was ob- responses to oppressive conditions Triumphant Homecoming vious from the start that the opens up the question of how far the government had targeted Mayekiso state can go to suppress activism. The acquittal of Mayekiso and his because of his prominence as general The Mayekiso case was also the comrades gave new optimism and a secretary of the National Union of focus of the largest international cam- moment of celebration to anti-apart- Metalworkers (NUMSA) and as a paign ever waged around a South heid activists in the unions and militant COSATU leader. Moses was African trial. Worldwide solidarity ef- townships . There was no denying imprisoned over six months before forts were launched by the Internation- what Alexandra residents thought on charges were even made. al Metalworkers Federation. The U.S. the night of Moses' release and return The case tested the right of unions to "Justice for Mayekiso" campaign was to the township . As reported in the become active in political struggles, led by NUMSA's counterpart, the Weekly Mail: especially at the community level. In United Auto Workers, which spon- "The kombi (truck) carrying Moses fact, the Mayekiso treason trial was sored a panel of court observers and Mayekiso and his colleagues hooted as considered a dress rehearsal for a placed ads in South African it approached the older part of broader crackdown on political ac- newspapers . In New York, the Labor Continued on next page Mayekiso Free! continued from front page Alexandra. Gradually, the filthy unlit streets came to life as other cars hooted and put their lights on. "A second truck arrived carrying youths chanting slogans and singing freedom songs. They climbed out of the kombi.. .and danced the Toyi-Toyi. "The sounds of 'Viva Nelson Man- dela, Viva Oliver Tambo' and slogans about other leaders of the African Na- tional Congress filled the air. "Standing in the middle of the crowd, Mayekiso began speaking and all the noise died down as people strained to hear: 'We are back and we The Voices of Local 420 Choir, directed by Hubert Campbell, inspired the will start where we stopped . April 7th Free Mayekiso Rally held at DC 37 in New York. Khola Mayekiso Leads Solidarity Campaign laanml While Moses Mayekiso stood in the live," Khola told an audience of union for all the workers. The project had dock in the Rand Supreme Court, supporters at a rally April 7 in New secured funding from Scandinavia, Khola Mayekiso travelled to the U.S. York City. but was stopped by the authorities in and Europe building the international She described how angry township the crackdown on the township com- movement that helped to free her hus- residents felt as they left their jobs in mittee. band and his co-defendants. immaculate, modern white Johannes- During Moses' three-year imprison- Khola Mayekiso is a staff member burg to return to the squalid unpaved ment, life for Khola and her family was with the Metalworkers (NUMSA), streets of Alexandra . Their children go especially hard. In order to ensure her which Moses heads. The Mayekisos to inferior schools, if they go at all. own safety at the time of his arrest, she lived in Alexandra Township with Health care services are inadequate or had to go into hiding, separated from their seven children and were at the non-existent. The Alexandra Action her children who stayed with relatives center of community organizing ac- Committee was organizing corn- far from Johannesburg. tivities before Moses' arrest in June munity solutions to these problems After Moses was formally charged, 1986. through street committees and she was allowed to see him only 30 "You have to imagine this place. protests. minutes, twice a week. She also had to There are 350,000 people living in They had even put together a support her children, both her and twenty-two square blocks . There is no project for a worker-owned coopera- Moses' parents, and assist the families running water, no sewers, no tive employing hundreds and provid- of the other detainees, which include electricity. We have to organize just to ing child care and children's services her brother-in-law Mzwanele. In the course of her solidarity tour, Khola addressed union groups in Sweden, Britain and the U.S., with stops in Chicago, Detroit and Washington. Khola spoke at a Free Mayekiso rally in New York City, co- sponsored by the NY LCAA and the Women's Committee of District Coun- cil 37 AFSCME. The rally was hosted by LCAA chairperson Stanley Hill, executive director of DC 37, and chaired by Bill Henning, CWA Local 1180 . The event was also addressed -by Louise DeBow, DC 37, and UAW officers Cleveland Robinson, Sam Meyers and John Christianson. The spirit was provid- ed by the AFSCME Local 420 Choir, LCAA Chair Stanley Hill, executive director of DC 37, and Louise DeBow, who put their solidarity into gospel chair of DC 37 Women's Committee, with Khola Mayekiso . music. SHOWDOWN IN NAMIBIA After more than seven decades of massive violations of the peace accords bloody repression and diplomatic and demanded that its troops be able evasion, the South African govern- to take military action. The UN ment agreed last year to end its peacekeeping forces were in no posi- military occupation of Namibia . In an tion to accurately assess the situation, agreement brokered by the U .S. and in part because US budget cuts had signed by South Africa, Angola and kept them from reaching full strength. Cuba, there were to be free elections in The UN agreed that South African Namibia leading to independence and troops could leave their bases. majority rule. The agreement was The result, according to press and backed by the United Nations, which church accounts, was that South Africa sent observers and troops to Namibia killed more than 300 SWAPO troops, to monitor the withdrawal of including many congregating for UN Pretoria's troops and the election protection. Hundreds of civilian sup- process. porters of SWAPO were assaulted, Workers rally behind SWAPO. But less than twelve hours after UN jailed, tortured; at least 12 were killed. peacekeeping forces arrived on April Many of the brutal paramilitary units and to unionize farm workers, domes- 1, the agreement began to unravel. that operated during South Africa's oc- tic workers and public employees—all And throughout April and May, South cupation have been redeployed as part rights currently denied. Africa has stepped up its campaign of of the police force, charged with super- NUNW is also contesting the South harassment and intimidation against vising elections. African government's strategy to sell the local population . Hundreds of The man who helped form one par- off or "privatize" Namibian govern- people have been killed . Pretoria is ticularly vicious paramilitary unit, the ment services. Not coincidentally, now actively organizing to frustrate Koevoet, has actually been named NUNW has been building strong labor attempts to organize free elections. commander of the police . A church organizations in the public sector, par- source in the north reported that half ticularly among municipal employees, Still In Charge of the 6,000 police in the territory were railway workers and teachers. actually from Koevoet. NUNW, with a total membership of Although the UN is to monitor the 40,000, is also strong among miners election process, South Africa remains Unions Protest and factory workers. in charge of the government, im- . .and Prepare The South Africans plan to sell off plementation of the elections, and the hospital services, water services, the country as a whole .