Anti- Movement

Anti-Apartheid Movement - 13 Mandela Street London NW1 0DW Tel 071-387 7966 Fax 071-388 0173 Rt Hon Douglas Hurd MP, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Downing St, London, SWI 6th September 1990 We are writing to express our grave concern at the continuing threat to trade union rights in . We are particularly concerned by the events of 28th August when armed police swooped on the Headquarters of the main trade union federation COSATU and arrested the COSATU General Secretary, Mr ; the COSATU Assistant Secretary General, Mr Sydney Mufamadi; and a COSATU official Mr Baba Schalk. These three senior COSATU officials are now being prosecuted on trumped up charges of kidnapping, assault and robbery following the discovery of a police agent surveilling their premises. We enclose a statement by Mr Naidoo which outlines the background to these developments. We are likewise concerned at the continuing detention of over one hundred people under the notorious Section 29 of the Internal Security Act including the veteran trade unionist Mr Billy Nair and Mr Maharaj of the ANC National Executive Committee. Other trade union leaders have been subjected to arbitary action. For example the President and General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers were arrested on 26th August and charged for attending an 'illegal' meeting in the coal mining town of Newcastle. We are most concerned about the implications of these developments as we are about the extensive evidence we have received from our trade union colleagues in South Africa of the complicity of the police in the recent tragic events in the townships in . We believe the trade union movement in South Africa has a vital contribution to make towards the achievement of a political settlement of the conflict in South Africa and the creation of a united, non-racial and democratic South Africa. These attacks on the trade union movement can only put at risk this entire process. We have been greatly encouraged by the progress which has been made this year towards securing a genuine end to apartheid. In order to maintain the momentum of change we believe that the British government has a responsibity to intervene with the South African authorities to secure conditions of free political activity. We would therefore urge you to take up with the South African authorities as a matter of urgency: - the action taken against the COSATU leadership in order that the charges are dropped - the release of all those being held in detention without trial - the repeal of repressive legislation, in particular the Internal Security Act - the need for a judicial enquiry into the role of the South African police both in relation to recent events in the Transvaal as well as the crisis in Natal We would welcome an early response in view of the gravity of the situation. Y s sincerelv. FOR FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA