COSATU condemns murder of NUM official

The Congress of South African Trade Unions vehemently condemns the murder of the Branch Chairperson at the National Union of Mineworkers at Lonmin's Western Platinum mine. We send a message of condolence to his family and his fellow workers at the mine and in his community, who are mourning the loss of a workers' leader, a friend and a staunch comrade.

It is reported that he was shot eight times while driving, between 19h00 and 20h00 on 17 October 2013, in what was clearly a targeted attack. As NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka says: "He was killed last night in what appears to be a resurgence of violence in the area."

This resurgence is happening despite the signing of a Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry on 3 July this year, in which government, employers and most unions acknowledged that "we face an immediate crisis of violence and anarchy in and around the mines which has already cost far too many lives and it still is putting lives in danger.

The signatories agreed that "the police, the intelligence service and the courts must act effectively and without delay to bring those guilty of violent crimes to justice. Impunity must be rooted out and the confidence in the justice system restored. Government must implement these measures without any further delay."

Despite this, the murders have continued and the culture of impunity has not been eliminated. Workers and communities live in constant fear, and have been denied their fundamental human right to move freely without fear of attack.

COSATU endorses the belief of its North West Provincial Secretary that some of this violence continues "because some organisations were reluctant to sign the agreement brokered by the president and this shows that they were never committed to bringing peace and stability in the area".

The federation insists that the SAPS must move with maximum speed to track down those responsible for this brutal assassination. They be arrested, brought to justice and severely sentenced.

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, October 18 2013

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