COSATU NW to fight against DA and white racist farmers in workers' month
The Congress of South African Trade Unions and its affiliates are fighting strongly to make sure that DA and its racist farmers do not use their racist power to stop workers - in particular farm workers and farm dwellers who depend on them for both work and accommodation - to use their constitutional right to vote for any political party they want.
It is reported to the federation that there are some farmers in Koster, Ventersdorp, Tigane, Kleinfontein, Ottosdal, Swartruggens, Stella, Tswaing, Lichtenburg and many other farm areas in the NW who are intimidating workers, saying that if they go out to vote their work and housing are gone.
In this workers month we will make sure that all workers who are being exploited by the racist farmers are protected by the laws and our constitution which give them the right to vote for the political party they choose, not the party they are forced to vote for due the employer belonging to the DA.
COSATU is doing a full investigation into the matter. Once it is completed the racist DA and its farmers will be exposed to the public.
As the federation we are still saying that DA is the enemy of the workers and poor working class. We have a history of white racist farmers, who belong to the white political parties, who dismissed farm workers after they went to vote in 2009 and those who went to celebrate Freedom Day in 2009.
The killing of farm workers, farm dwellers and their families by white racist farmers is a clear picture that white racist political parties do not care about the condition of farm workers and their lives. They want the African black workers' votes in the farms and the rural areas.
We want to repeat our statement that if DA and their leader can clean the street in Tlokwe municipality, why is she not able to clean the rural areas in her province.
When the poor community of Skierluk was faced with racial killings and attacks, and left without housing, water, food and safety, the DA did nothing. Even worse they supported the white racist Johan Nel who is currently serving a life sentence in jail for shooting the poor community of Skierluk.
Workers on the farms, at the hotels such as Sun City, at some of the mines and factories, chicken factories such as Chubby Chicks are still called baboons and kaffirs, and are being racially insulted by white racist bosses, most of whom belong to the white racist political parties, including the DA.
We asking all our members, all workers, and all communities, in particular in our rural areas not to be fooled by racist white political parties, including the DA which is making noise to change the lives of the black African people, which they could not do before 1994 even in Cape Town where they were in power.
As COSATU in the North West, DA remains the enemy. Our struggle will not change. DA leader Helen Zille today is able to call our leaders heroes of struggle when some of them were killed by her own white racist friends.
We are also calling on all those who went to join the DA not to be elected, not to fool our poor communities for their own opportunistic agenda. They must not take advantage of our poor farm workers who are exploited by the same racist white farmers every day.
We are not apologetic. The DA is the enemy of our working class.
Statement issued by COSATU NW Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe, May 4 2011
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