COSATU condemns SASCOC's Chinese Olympic kit deal

The Congress of South African Trade Unions is outraged at the revelation that the kit for South African teams competing at the London Olympics is being made in China. It strongly condemns SASCOC for its contempt for the hundreds of South African clothing and textile workers who have been robbed of employment opportunities, and for its total lack of patriotism.

The Olympic Games ought to be a platform to exhibit the very best of each country's products.  At the launch of the kit SASCOC Chief Executive Officer, Tubby Reddy, was quoted as saying: "The mere pride and feel-good factor of the wearing of the national kit should serve to up their performance by a few levels." Yet, thanks to his committee, our teams will now be promoting the best of Chinese clothing!

COSATU fully agrees with Proudly South African CEO, Adv. Leslie Sedibe, that "the manufacturing of South Africa's national team kit in

China is a mockery and an insult to efforts by local constituencies to promote local goods and services".

PSA has revealed that at three meetings with the SASCOC President, Gideon Sam, SASCOC gave a commitment that they would encourage their registered sports federations to support local manufacturers for any procurement of sporting equipment/clothing. These are now shown to be empty words!

Their action also flies in the face of the Local Procurement Accord signed on 31 October 2011 by government, business, organised labour

and community constituencies, part of the national campaign to promote local procurement in the country as a platform for creating five million jobs by 2020. The Accord designated clothing, textiles and leather footwear as a key sector for local procurement.

Adv. Sedibe summed up the issue in a nutshell: "If the Chinese have enough national pride to have a Chinese company, ERKE, make their national kit, why can we not support out local clothing manufacturers? Why let ERKE manufacture the SA kit? Yes, ERKE sponsors SASCOC, but they have also received funding from the Department of Sport and the Lotto, among others".

COSATU demands that the deal with ERKE be cancelled and the contacts for the kit to be given to Proudly South African companies, so that

the athletes can wear them with real pride.

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, April 5 2012

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