198 Broadway 9 Now York, N.Y. 10038 * (212) 962-1210 Tilden J. LeMelle, Chairman 198 Broadway 9 Now York, N.Y. 10038 * (212) 962-1210 Tilden J. LeMelle, Chairman Jennifer Davis, Executive Director Vf URGENT ACTION R TO: Key Labor Contacts FROM: Mike Fleshman, Labor Desk DATE: June 24, 1991 SVBJECT: Labor Leaders on Trial, Metal Workers Resume Hunger Strike Four senior South African labor leaders, COSATU General Secretary Jay Naidoo, Assistant General Secretary Sydney Mafumadi, metalworkers General Secretary Moses Mayekiso and COSATU staff member Baba Schalk go on trial today for the alleged "kidnapping" of a police spy outside COSATU headquarters on August 28, 1990. The incident began after a security police informer, Monge Maleka, was discovered conducting surveillance of COSATU's offices in downtown Johannesburg. He was taken into the building and searched, and was found to be in possession of a walkie-talkie radio. The international press corps was then summoned for an impromptu press conference with Maleka, who admitted his links to the security police, and even contacted his police "handler" over the radio for reporters. Shortly thereafter Maleka was released into the custody of the police. For the "kinder, gentler" de Klerk regime to press kidnapping charges against the four labor leaders would be ludicrous, were the potential penalties not so severe. It demonstrates once again that the apartheid authorities will stoop to almost anything in their efforts to intimidate, harass and destabilize South Africa's democratic trade union movement. We have just received an urgent appeal from COSATU for protest messages to be sent to Justice Minister Kobie Coetsee. Fax Coetsee at (011-27-12) 260991 and demand that the charges be dropped. Meanwhile, six members of the National Union of Metalworkers in South Africa (NUMSA), among the hundreds of political prisoners still being held in apartheid's jails, have resumed their eight-week-old hunger strike for freedom. The NUMSA Six, including shop steward Richard Ngobeni, have been in jail for over a year awaiting trial on charges arising from an October 1989 strike. The Six were among 250 unionists fired and permanently replaced by company management. Send solidarity faxes to the NUMSA Six, care of: Lawyers for Human Rights: (011-27-12) 325-6318. Protests can be faxed to South African Ambassador to the U.S. Harry Schwarz: (202) 456-2461. Keep The Pressure On Apartheid! Hands Off Labor In South Africa! Established by The American Committee on Africa, 1966 * Contributions are tax- deductible TRIAL OF JAY NAIDOO, SYDNEY MUFAMADI, MOSES MAYEKUSO AND BABA SCHALK 24 June - 5 July 1991 Johannesburg Magistrates Court COSA I7trfomaion Pmzpbet On 24 June, the trial of four senior COSATU officials: * Jay Naidoo, COSATU General Secretary * Sydney Mufamadi, COSATU Assistant General Secretary * Moses Mayekiso, NUMSA General Secretary * Baba Schalk, COSATU staff member beins in the Johannesburg Magistrat§ qgwn, The trial which is set down for two weeks, arises out of events which took place on 28 August 1990 at the Head Office of COSATU. TIUullntu On the 29h of August, a man was observed outside the COSATU offices behaving suspiciously. It transpired that he had allegedly been recruited to spy on a SACP official, Geraldine Fraser, who worked in the same building. At a press conference held in the COSATU offices, the man demonstrated the use of a two way radio which he had. This appeared to indicate that he was in contact with the South African Police. Iater that afternoon, a large contingent of police surrounded National Acceptances House and arrested Jay Naidoo, Sydney Mufamadi and Baba Schalk. Several months later, Moses Mayekiso was also charged as the fourth accused. The state alleges that this informer, Monge Maleka, was kidnapped and arrested in the head offices of COSATU. Campaign of harassment The events of August 28th, must be seen against the background of a campaign of harassment against union officials and their offices: * On 7 May 1987 the head offices of COSATU were seriously bombed. No person has ever been arrested for the explosion. * There have been more than 50 attacks on union offices and officials countrywide since October 1985. Only one person has ever been charged for these attacks. COSATU has good reason to beleve that aacks on its premise and offioe bearer could continue. * During the Harms Commission, evidence was led that COSATU was perceived as an "enemy" and that its leadership were considered as targets. * The names of the General Secretary of COSATU, Jay Naidoo and the General Secretary of NUM, Cyril Ramaphosa, -who both worked in the building under surveillance, have appeared on a number of death lists. * The Hiemstra Commission of Enquiry into the Johannesburg City Council confirmed that COSATU has been under surveillance. COSATU had good reason to beheve that we could have been under surveillance and our leadership underpossible attack We Airher have good reason to believe that Malek could have be involved in the planning of such attacks. The context of violence In August 1990, so called "Inkatha violence" had spread from Natal to the PWV and in fact shortly before Maleka was apprehended, COSATU had received information that our Head Off=ce was about to be attacked. In the last years, 8 000 people have been murdered - some iia broad daylight. Very few people have ever been apprehended or charged for these deaths. We were also aware of incidents of abduction of ANC members who later ended up in the custody of the SAP. COSATU had good reason to be worried about their safety of their leadership and staff COSATU's response COSATU believes that this trial is part of a political onslaught not only against COSATU but against the tripartite alliance of the ANC, SACP and COSATU. The Democratic Movement has consistently called for peace and for the freeing of political activity. It is not us who are the aggressors or who violate the freedom of association of organisations and individuals. It is the police who have and continue to wage campaigns of harassment and smear attacks against trade unionists. It is in this climate that shadowy right wing groups believe that they can act against us with impunity. The SAP are attempting to divert attention from having their methods and actions exposed to the public. When the incident happened, the COSATU leadership made urgent attempts to contact the police at the highest level. Now they are accused of kidnapping. Would the COSATU leadership have called a press conference to expose a victim they had idnapped? We reject the political charges that have been laid against Naldoo, Mufamadi, Mayeldso and Schalk and call on the state to Immediately drop charges. This trial Is In contravention of the United Nations and Barare Declarations on South Africa, which call for an end to political trials before the processs of negotiations can commence. COSAJTU believe that the energies of the SAP would be better spent addmssing the real issues that threaten peaceful change in South Africa - the violence in the townships as well as the violence against democratic and peace loving organisations such as COSAT. HE STAND BYOUR IEADEJS! HANDS OFF COSA ! Release Hunger Strikers as Political Nowl wdften by hunger stke in Johonnesburg ,-ositai June 2, 1997 We are six poailicol priners on hunger strike, now in Johannesburg Hospital. As of today, the 2nd of June. we have been on hunger strike for 30 days. The govermentO declared it would release all political prisoners by the 30th of Apr! of " year. We remain in prison. The goverrvnent Is now saying tfart we are not polkhoal prisorers. We cannot be cofusedby tN& We are politicl prisoners, cnd like ot pol tical prisones we wi continue with our hunger strike until we release or unt we starve. On Monday. October 23,1989 there was a strike at Hagge RandJupiter. The strke was colled to queslion ihe dedcion of one and a holf hours of workers' pay without corsuting the workers on 1he matter. When we. the Wire ME Workftoce. asked about the unlawful deduction of one and a half hours. we were all dismissed without proper notice. Atthe Pretoria bndustrio CaLt on the 7-18 of May. I1, Haggle RorxIJu pte Maigernent (represented by David Redenhys (Personne! Manager) cdmited #ht ttey cid not follow proper company procedure. He said that because of #,e sftikes and stoppages at the Haggle Rand by workers frorn 1982 to 1989. they just sodi enough is enough.' This is why tthey dismissed us the workers, The six of us. the."NUSA Sie. were ORl orrested at our clfferent ho-nes on the night of 29 May. i 990. We were told that we were being arrested on t1he instructior of Haggie Rand Mongement. The question is, cue the *N1M4SA SWx who were cineste now responsible for all of the worker actilon from 1982 to 1989. which caused Hoggte Rand to dismiss the workers? We smy in big letters. NO! 1-loggle Rand In 1989 had oprox uly 1 ID workers. 7he Wire M1l -ulkdorce who were fired on the 23rd of October. 1 98were pr. oxiatlelY ~ 2In numbeL So. why has Haggle Rand instructed poice to'rrest "e NUMSA SbC? CD The workers who were arrested were dl worker repres of the -s workers. Corocade Rchard Ngoberil was elected as Chakperson and X X as shop steward of Hagge Rand Jplter from the period of 1%9 to .1990 according to the NUMSA siturcures. The others were members of woder committees, wich were standard worker representative =) bodes in the company. I-. The gfaeimnent feled to charge us tor eight monts. Dunng that time we were in Johannesbtrg Prison Jail (Sun Ciy.) On 24 of December 1990we ebIared upon a hunger sike unl II of Jantxxy.