---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: peter waterman <[email protected]> Date: Mon, Dec 15, 2014 at 6:26 PM Subject: [Networkedlabour] Fwd: [Debate-List] (Fwd) United Front statement and press reports To: "[email protected]" < [email protected]>, WSFDiscuss List < [email protected]>, [email protected], gina vargas <[email protected]>, Raphael Hoetmer <[email protected]>, Boa Santos < [email protected]>, Eva Charkiewicz <[email protected]> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Patrick Bond <[email protected]> Date: Mon, Dec 15, 2014 at 8:10 AM Subject: [Debate-List] (Fwd) United Front statement and press reports To: debaTE <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], IANRA list <[email protected]>, [email protected], " [email protected]" <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Though the reports in the mainstream press are downbeat, the vibe in the United Front Preparatory Assembly was tremendous, and there's every indication that naysayers like Sadtu will be regretting their inaccurate cynicism. Surprisingly, here's a balanced 1-minute SABC report with more of the flavour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH5NOWdO4II ) [image: Description: C:\Users\Dingas\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\T702XF9V\UFLOGO.jpg] *DECLARATION OF THE PREPARATORY ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED FRONT* *JOHANNESBURG 14 DECEMBER 2014* *14 December 2014* Globally we are experiencing the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s. Wars and counter-revolutions stretch from the Middle East to the far East to Africa and the Americas. Imperialism knows no constraint. The devastating ecological and climate crises are caused by a predatory capitalist system that is endangering the very existence of humanity. Post apartheid capitalism is leaving a trail of inequality, hunger, poverty and misery. The wealthy elite and the bosses – white and black - refuse to concede a single inch to the urgent needs of the majority. They view even the most basic reforms as a potential threat to their profit margins. The ANC government now consistently echoes these views. Every progressive programme, strategy and intention is either abandoned or rejected by the government in the face of the brutal logic of managing a capitalist state. The ANC government has refused to confront capital and white privilege and instead become an enabler of white monopoly capital and their junior BEE partners. This is the source of the political crises facing our country.

From the 13 – 14 December 2014 in Johannesburg 350 delegates from around the country representing a diverse range of trade unions, social movements, popular organisations, faith-based organisations, NGOs and anti-capitalist formations assembled to lay the foundation of a united movement of the poor majority to challenge the system that has made South Africa the most unequal country on earth.

The cry of the Preparatory Assembly of the United Front is KWANELE, KWANELE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, GENOEG IS GENOEG. Our call from this historic assembly that has broken new grounds is for our people to unite in the year of the United Front. Our task is to build solidarity in struggle in Southern African and internationally. We are internationalists. We are setting out on a journey to rise to the grave challenges of our times and unite the struggles of our people: workers, unemployed, women and youth to amplify them so as to shake and revolutionise this country. We are confident that our actions will reverberate throughout Southern Africa and will inevitably echo across the continent. While basing ourselves on the heroic movements of the past, on the struggles to make programmes like the Freedom Charter and others a material force, the United Front is going to the people; it is unfolding a process of popular assemblies to collect the demands of our people, to listen and to build a front that is of the people, for the people and by the people. The United Front will unite the working classes, rural and urban in struggle and in which women and youth will be in the forefront. With a great sense of urgency we have come together as the United Front and are uniting our separate and often fragmented efforts, to build solidarity, restore confidence and hope amongst the masses of this country. The building of working class and popular power lies at the heart of our initiative. The United Front is a front of mass action and struggle. Across the country people in communities, workplaces, townships and villages are mobilising against poverty, inequality and corruption. Our role is to unite and co-ordinate these struggles. As activists of the United Front, we view our first and main task to build movements that mobilise to fight corruption, looting of public resources, failing service delivery, increasingly unaccountable governance, violence against women, children and LGBTQI people, police brutality, and anti-poor/pro-rich economic policies (“neo-liberalism”); We will resist retrenchments, cut-offs, evictions, collapse of our education and health systems and the retribalisation of the countryside Our goal is to strive for the deepening of democracy and the building of people’s power in social, economic and political spheres where collective needs and interests of the people as a whole come before profits and other elite interests; We call on the workers, the unemployed, women and youth, shack-dwellers, back yarders, farm workers, landless and the dispossessed, to organise, mobilise and build the united front in every corner of the country. The core social base, engine and locomotive of the UF should be exploited, oppressed and marginalized people – primarily employed workers, informal/atypical workers and the unemployed in both urban and rural areas, as well as women and youth. Mass organisations of the oppressed and exploited should be the main organisational expression of affiliation to the UF. These include trade unions, social movements, civics, women’s organisations, student and youth organisations, and other membership-based organisations of the mass of the people. All those who agree and accept the vision, aims, mission, principles, programme. duties and obligations of the UF will be allowed to join our Front. As a campaigning and fighting movement, the united front will be unfolding campaigns around the following themes: work, land & food, environment, decent public services (especially housing, education, health, water & sanitation) and violence against women, children the LGBTI community. To this end the United Front will establish several working groups to unite organisations and struggles in these areas, elaborating campaign and mobilisng strategies. Between now and the official launch of the United Front we are going to unite in struggle against the national austerity budget, particularly on the issues affecting poor communities on February 25. We will organize a day of mass action on March 21 in defence of human rights, freedom of expression and the right to organize and against police brutality. We give notice to Judge Farlam that the United Front will be watching for the outcomes of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry. We demand nothing less than justice for Marikana! The Preparatory Assembly has put in place a National Working Committee to oversee the implementation of its decisions and specifically to prepare for the official launch of the United Front on the 25-27 April 2015. They include: *1. **Andrew Chirwa* *2. **Bandile Mdlalose* *3. **Brian Ashley* *4. **Cynthia Machaba* *5. **Dinga Sikwebu* *6. **John Appolis* *7. **Kwezilomsa Mbandazayo* *8. **Mazibuko Jara* *9. **Reverend James Fatuse* *10. **Ronnie Kasrils* *11. **Vuyiseka Dubula* *12. **Zackie Achmat* *13. **Zanoxolo Wayile* *Provincial representatives* Eastern Cape: *Lungile Mxube* Free State: *Thokozile Sefumba* Gauteng: *Siyabonga Mbuqe* KwaZulu-Natal: *Gcina Makoba* Limpopo: *Michael Rasikhinya* Mpumalanga: *Elvis Komane* Northern Cape: *Patrick Dondolo* North West: *Shaheen Khan* Western Cape: *Abraham Agulhas* An injury to one is an injury to all. Aluta Continua For Enquiries: Numsa National Spokesperson - Castro Ngobese – 083 627 5197 - ec 2014 - The Mercury - Shanti Aboobaker United Front moves slowly IT REMAINS unclear if the United Front, spearheaded by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), will succeed where previous attempts to build broad coalitions between social movements and trade unions have failed before. The formation of the front follows a resolution taken at Numsa’s watershed special national congress a year ago, and is aimed at building a solid alliance between unions and social movements to fight corruption, failing service provision and issues facing communities. This weekend 342 people and 71 organisations met in Boksburg to plan the front’s overall strategy towards a national launch scheduled for April. Among the actions planned are a national day of mass action scheduled for Freedom Day (April 27) in defence of human rights, freedom of expression and the right to organise, and opposition to police brutality. There will also be a response to the Treasury’s “austerity budget” on Budget day in February. The assembly elected a 21-person national working committee comprising a representative from each of the nine provinces and a further 12 people, including former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils and HIV/Aids activist Zackie Achmat. It also has Numsa shop stewards, Abraham Agulhas of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, clergy from the Interdenominational African Ministers Association of SA, former leaders of the SACP and the former general secretary of shack-dwellers organisation Abahlali baseMjondolo. But there are concerns that the organisations and individuals who were present at the assembly lack the constituency and don’t represent the numbers necessary to build a mass movement with clout. Some of the organisations present at the assembly included Equal Education, Section27, the Treatment Action Campaign and academics from Wits and the University of Johannesburg. Professor Steven Friedman, director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy in South Africa, said the United Front organisers needed to ask themselves probing questions, including in what way these new leaders broadened a constituency. While the jury was still out, he said at this stage some developments raised serious questions. Numsa announced last week that it was delaying the formal launch of the front, amid speculation the initiative was struggling in its infancy. Friedman said many of the individuals playing a key role in the formation of the front were already engaged in issues of sanitation, education and freedom of speech, but it was not clear what value they could add. “The United Front is supposed to deal and rectify the situation in which the trade union movement has ignored social movements. Cosatu trade unions have narrowly focused on workplace. “The question is: Is this (new initiative) actually going to rectify that?” he said. “If it means Numsa and whoever from the trade union movement work together with Abahlali, for example, in a united campaign, it is possible it might produce more than we have at the moment.” Broad principles agreed on included that the United Front would be : Pan Africanist. Based on ubuntu from below. Anti-xenophobic. Feminist. Anti-racist. Opposed to tribalism and ethnicity. Anti-homophobic. Non-sectarian. Democratic from below. Transparent and accountable. Working class in character. It is, however, still debating whether its aims and mission should include the goal of socialism – a process that will include discussions on what the meaning of socialism is and the place of the Freedom Charter in its long-term vision. According to the consolidated discussions emanating from commissions held at this weekend’s assembly, there would also be continued debate on collaboration with political parties and considerations on the racial composition of the leadership of the front. *** United Front blames ANC for poverty, inequality The United Front has called on Cosatu to break away from the ruling party. Emily Corke <http://ewn.co.za/Contributors/Emily-Corke> | about 2 hours ago JOHANNESBURG – The United Front has blamed the African National Congress (ANC) for inequality and poverty in South Africa and has called for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) to break away from the ruling party. The political movement adopted its declaration at the weekend <http://ewn.co.za/2014/12/14/United-Front-groupings-discuss-participation-in-elections>in an assembly convened by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) <http://ewn.co.za/2014/12/13/Numsa-United-Front-to-tackle-race-and-class-divisions> in Kempton Park. The assembly of gathered workers unions and civic organisations <http://ewn.co.za/2014/12/13/Numsa-United-Front-not-political-party> also elected an interim committee, which includes former African National Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Ronnie Kasrils, who will oversee the official launch of the movement in April. The United Front says the ANC has left a trail of inequality <http://ewn.co.za/2014/12/14/Numsa-SAs-democratic-dream-dead>and that Cosatu, which it says is in intensive care, must leave the Tripartite Alliance. The umbrella body <http://ewn.co.za/2014/12/13/Numsa-convenes-peoples-assembly> made strong claims against the ANC, saying the majority party is obsessed with a capitalist system which places profit margins above the living conditions of the poor. United Front member and academic Noor Nieftagodien says they will build campaigns on issues affecting the poor, women and children. “The ANC government has become an enabler of white monopoly capital and the junior Black Economic Empowerment.” United Front officials say the movement will begin challenging the ANC government before its launch next year. Numsa was voted out <http://ewn.co.za/2014/11/20/Cosatu-denies-reinstating-charges-against-Vavi> of Cosatu in October by 33 votes to 24 and the decision has since exposed the rift between rival affiliates. Eight of Numsa’s allies in Cosatu subsequently refused to take part <http://ewn.co.za/2014/11/28/Cosatu-ANC-unity-intervention-not-at-risk> in the federation's meetings and have warned that if the metalworkers do not return to the fold, a mass walkout is on the cards. (Edited by Tamsin Wort) *** Numsa's Front: United only in opposition 14 Dec 2014 15:23 Phillip de Wet <http://mg.co.za/author/phillip-de-wet> Numsa's umbrella entity, the United Front, not so united as delegates disagree on internal structure and what role the party should play in elections. NEWS ANALYSIS It started off strong, because in any group with even mild leanings towards the left it is a song everyone knows by heart. “My mother was a kitchen girl,” sang National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) deputy general-secretary Karl Cloete on Saturday morning, and the 200-odd people in the room, there to work towards the formation of the United Front, were with him. “My father was a garden boy,” continued Cloete, and again the crowd followed enthusiastically. But it was not to last. *‘I’m a socialist’* “That’s why I’m a communist,” led Cloete from the podium, and suddenly there was confusion. Some people just mumbled incoherently when they reached the contentious part, others fell silent, glancing at their neighbours. By the second repeat most had opted to go with “that’s why I’m a socialist”, and by the third verse Cloete, despite commanding the microphone and resolutely clinging to “communist”, was overpowered by socialists apparently not quite ready to declare themselves communists. *Disagreements* The nascent United Front, Numsa’s initiative to create an umbrella that is neither political party nor trade union, spent Saturday and Sunday locked in a Johannesburg airport hotel trying to define itself. By the end of the weekend, however, and despite sometimes heated debate, the meeting had not agreed whether the United Front would be socialist – nor even what, exactly, socialism is. Other areas where delegates agreed to disagree, at least for the time being, is on whether or not the United Front should be regional, or continental, or just South African, how it should be structured, whether or not only individuals or only organisations can become members, and whether or not it should ever get directly involved in any way in elections. Membership should be open to all who share the (yet-to-be-defined) vision of the United Front, the meeting agreed, but definitely not to “the bourgeoisie”. Unfortunately, there was no agreement on what, exactly, would constitute being bourgeois, and whether or not the bourgeoisie includes the likes of taxi drivers, taxi owners or informal traders. *Consensus* Notwithstanding such rather fundamental disagreement, the mood was self-congratulatory. “There is sufficient consensus,” Cloete declared to nods and claps. That consensus, especially where strongest, seemed to consist almost entirely of a long list of things and people the United Front is not, or is against. *What the United Front is not* The United Front is not patient, Numsa president Andrew Chirwa said. “We are told we must suspend our hunger, our poverty, until 2030, when Vision 2030 is reached ... We’re told to be patient ... but we don’t see patience from some of our leaders ... we see a rush to loot resources.” The United Front is not sympathetic to the opposition politics of the Democratic Alliance, said activist Zackie Achmat, best known for his work with the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). “If you don’t watch out, Helen Zille will rule here,” Achmat warned, referring to the province of Gauteng. “The DA is coming, and not in a good way.” And the United Front, though sympathetic to the struggle of the Economic Freedom Fighters to speak its mind in Parliament, is not some “shortcut to Parliament”, Chirwa said, in one of many sly references to the EFF. The United Front is not a group that will seek to rescue the ANC or the SA Communist Party (SACP), said Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim, because those organisations are already lost. Neither champion socialism, and the entire ruling alliance is now “anti working-class” that has seen “a once proud people reduced to begging from the state” for social grants. If anything does unite the United Front, it is loathing of the Tripartite Alliance – and its leaders. Though Jacob Zuma was rarely mentioned by name, the many jokes about Nkandla were met with universal applause. Insults directed at SACP leader Blade Nzimande (“rotten”), Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini (“run, Sdumo, run!”) and deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa (“the Buffalo Breeder”) drew laughs even on their umpteenth repetition. *Ambitions* Loathing of the ANC and its alliance, however, is not in itself a course of action. In its struggle against neo-liberalism, the meeting seemed to concur, it would be fighting on many fronts. And the breadth of its ambitions are breathtaking. A sampling of some of the projects, problems and issues the United Front possibly intends tackling include: - Poverty and the wage gap - Planed redistribution - “crime, especially its violent forms” - Police brutality - food prices - “Environmental destruction” - Xenophobia - E-tolls - The National Development Plan (NDP) - Drugs - “Apartheid geography” - “Feudal control by tribal chiefs” - Health, education, housing, transport, water, and electricity - Unaccountable governance - Debt and student loans - Discrimination against women, the disabled, and everyone who is not hetrosexual To tackle those issues, the meeting agreed, the United Front must capture the public imagination. But how it should do so was not immediately clear. Some argued strongly for a campaign called The South Africa Want, based on a process of gathering demands “from below” via a process similar to the way the Freedom Charter was created. But others argued that it would be better to focus on an “iconic community”, such as Marikana, or to organise a “Day of Action”, or to picket the national budget presentation in Parliament to air objections to state spending priorities. The decision on which of those plans, if any, are to be implemented, was deferred. ------------------------------ Phillip de Wet is an associate editor at the Mail & Guardian. - Read more from *Phillip de Wet* <http://mg.co.za/author/phillip-de-wet> *** Kasrils excited to be involved with United Front Sunday 14 December 2014 15:42 SABC [image: Ronnie Kasrils has been speaking at the United Front People's Assembly in Boksburg on Gauteng's East Rand.] Ronnie Kasrils has been speaking at the United Front People's Assembly in Boksburg on Gauteng's East Rand.(SABC) Tags: - Gauteng <http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/main/tag?tag=Gauteng> - East Rand <http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/main/tag?tag=East%20Rand> - Boksburg <http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/main/tag?tag=Boksburg> - Ronnie Kasrils <http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/main/tag?tag=Ronnie%20Kasrils> - United Front <http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/main/tag?tag=United%20Front> - Zackie Achmat <http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/main/tag?tag=Zackie%20Achmat> - SACP <http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/main/tag?tag=SACP> - Mazibuko Jara <http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/main/tag?tag=Mazibuko%20Jara> Former Defence Minister and now United Front National Working Committee member Ronnie Kasrils says he feels rejuvenated to be involved with the United Front. He's been speaking at the Front's People's Assembly in Boksburg on Gauteng's East Rand. Sunday has seen the establishment of an interim committee of the fledgling body aimed at steering it to its official launch in April next year. Other members of the committee are social activists Zackie Achmat and Mazibuko Jara, both former ANC and SACP members respectively. Kasrils says he's excited. “I am elated to be part of a movement now based on the workers, based on the poor … for social equity, for a real sea change in our country given the way under this government of Jacob Zuma, under what the ANC and the Communist Party have become, to change things in order to serve the people and not oneself. So, we want to regenerate mass-based struggles and look to real change to serve for the better for our people.” The United Front People's Assembly has resolved that the new body will fight to champion the interests of the poor and working class. Delegate Noor Nieftagodien read out the final declaration: “The United Front will establish several working groups to unite organisations and struggles in these areas elaborating campaigns and mobilising strategies. Between now and the official launch of the United Front, we are going to unite in struggle against the national austerity budget, particularly on the issues affecting poor communities on February 25. We will organise a day of mass action on March 21 in defence of human rights, freedom of expression and the right to organise and against police brutality.” United Front delegates ratify interim leadership body by Karl Gernetzky <http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/staffprofiles/2012/08/02/karl-gernetzky-profile>, 15 December 2014 A COALITION of leftist and activist forces under the banner of the United Front has resolved to begin campaigning next year, including a protest against austerity as Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene tables the budget in February. The United Front was scheduled to be officially launched this weekend, but this has been delayed until April. About 342 delegates from 71 organisations met in Ekurhuleni instead for a "preparatory assembly" to discuss organisational matters. Amid disagreements on issues such as the use of the term "socialist", delegates formed a 21-person interim leadership body. It resolved that entrenched elites in SA were incapable and unwilling to "give one inch" on policies that could benefit the socioeconomically marginalised. Reading the United Front declaration on Sunday academic Noor Nieftagodien said it must "unite in struggle against the national austerity budget". A mass action in defence of human rights would be held in March, among other programmes. The interim leadership structure includes former African National Congress (ANC) stalwart Ronnie Kasrils, activist Zackie Achmat, and former Nelson Mandela Bay metro mayor and MP Zanoxolo Wayile. They were among 12 individuals elected during United Front commissions at the weekend, while nine others, one elected by each of the provinces, constituted the rest of the steering committee. The United Front encompasses trade unions, social movements, civics, women’s organisations, student and youth organisations, but its fate and purpose has to date been intertwined with the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), which has bankrolled much of the organisation. Despite this there had been agreement that the United Front had to fund its own budget at least from April, United Front co-ordinator Dinga Sikwebu said on Sunday. Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) affiliates supporting Numsa following its expulsion from the federation did attend the United Front assembly. But the uncertainty as Cosatu heads to a special national congress next year and ANC intervention to heal rifts, may complicate matters, at least for unions supporting the front. In a statement on Friday, the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) — a supporter of Numsa — said it would send representation but would distance itself from all efforts to form a new "party-political formation". The South African Democratic Teachers Union on Sunday took Fawu’s position as a signal that the United Front had "failed", saying: "It never had any basis for unity in the first place." Numsa deputy general secretary Karl Cloete on Sunday reiterated that Numsa would remain a trade union rather than a political party, but said one of the tasks for the United Front should be to ensure that organised labour remained democratic and worker-controlled. *** [WARNING - Sadtu was being fed misinformation] Contact: Mugwena Maluleke, General Secretary, 082 783 2968 Nkosana Dolopi, Deputy General Secretary, 082 709 5651 ------------------------------ [image: SADTU Teachers at Work, with logo, smaller.png] *SADTU Media Release, 14 December 2014* *Collapse of NUMSA’s “United Front”* The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) notices that the metalworkers’ union NUMSA, formerly an affiliate of COSATU issued a statement on Friday. Buried in the more than 6,000 words of NUMSA’s usual rhetoric is an admission of complete failure to carry out its long-time plan of creating a “United Front”, precursor to a “Movement for Socialism”, and of a copycat version of the tripartite National Democratic Revolutionary Alliance of the ANC, SACP and COSATU. NUMSA is once again “diving in the box” and claiming victimhood. But the defeat of the “United Front” dream, and of all that was to follow, is entirely self-inflicted. It was a disastrous “own goal” for the current NUMSA leadership – the same leadership that defied the majority in COSATU, causing the metalworkers’ union to be expelled from the federation. The demise of the “United Front” marks the beginning of the end of NUMSA’s destructive aberrations of the last few years. SADTU hopes that metalworker members who want NUMSA back in the Federation will now assert themselves within its structures. They should first make sure that poached members of SATAWU, CEPPWAWU, NUM and other COSATU affiliates return to their rightful homes. Then they should make NUMSA submit to COSATU’s constitution, and return with dignity to the fold. The “United Front” failed because it was never united, and because it never had any basis for unity in the first place. The cabal at the top of NUMSA thought that they could create a coalition of the angry, by bringing together people who are jealous of the ANC’s success, and who want to steal the ANC’s clothes, with other people who can’t bear that kind of success at any price, and who instead want to pursue an ultra-leftist experiment in South Africa, against the wishes of everybody else in the country. SADTU has also noticed FAWU’s statement on Friday. FAWU is now unequivocal in its determination to remain within the ANC fold, and to retain relations with the SACP. FAWU is not interested in any kind of divorce from COSATU, or interested in a new federation. The clear pro-Alliance statement that FAWU has issued means that the failure of the “United Front” is complete. We are also happy to note DENOSA’s categorical statement of a week ago that said: *“DENOSA is dismayed by the claim made by the former president of South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), comrade Thobile Ntola, that they had engaged DENOSA on formation of the new public service union. DENOSA would like to categorically distance itself from the formation of this public sector union. DENOSA can confirm that it has never been consulted and it is not party to the formation of a public sector union as reported.”* SADTU would like to remind the public that Thobile Ntola was convicted by SADTU’s internal disciplinary process of corruption. Ntola is in our opinion not a fit person to be in the leadership of any union, which is why we dismissed and expelled him from SADTU. We would warn workers that “SAPSU” is far from being a registered union under the Labour Relations Act, and that they should not join it, or hand over any money to anyone in connection with “SAPSU”. This bogus entity, “SAPSU”, has no officials, no domicile, no office and no telephone. It is no more than a confidence trick. Beware! SADTU notes the firm statements made this week by our sister affiliates of COSATU, NEHAWU and NUM. We support what they have said. We are proud to stand with them, and with the overwhelming majority of COSATU members. *Lastly, we want to condemn the conduct of the incumbent General Secretary of COSATU, in particular his refusal to implement the decisions of the CEC. His unprecedented move is an indication of a leader who has clearly grown bigger than the organisation. The General Secretary must be reminded that he is serving us in that office and not his own interests or views. COSATU is not a personal project and he must implement the decisions of the collective instead of reducing the Federation's structural meetings and workshop sessions to the platform to attack the COSATU leadership and deal with the charges preferred against him. The Constitution of COSATU is very clear about disciplinary procedures and he must abide by that. He must stop using the political process as resolved by the CEC to go around creating chaos in the Federation rather than working for unity and cohesion of the Federation. Is he causing all this constitutional chaos of choosing which decision to implement and which one not to implement as an indication of where he actually belongs? Is he a free agent of the Federation or the General Secretary elected in accordance with the same constitution he is violating? He must forthwith stop confusing COSATU with his own properties. We urge him to serve COSATU affiliates who own COSATU. There is no COSATU without the affiliates he is undermining. We urge him to abide by the policies and the constitution of COSATU.* SADTU has also noticed the outstanding success of the Young Communist League’s 4th National Congress, still under way in Cape Town. Taking all of the above together, SADTU is happy to note that South Africa’s National Democratic Revolution, now in its Radical Second Phase, is very secure as we approach the end of 2014. We wish all of our members and partners all of the best, including safety and health, during the festive season. We would also take this opportunity of wishing our beloved liberation movement, the African National Congress, well on the coming 103rd Anniversary of its founding, and a serene and powerful year of government in 2015. *Issued by:* *SADTU Secretariat* *Contact:* *Mugwena Maluleke, General Secretary, 082 783 2968* *Nkosana Dolopi, Deputy General Secretary, 082 709 5651* -- To view previous posts, create a Google account with your current email and log in using gmail to access the archives. https://accounts.google.com/newaccount?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups " [email protected]" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/a/fahamu.org/group/debate-list/ . -- 1. *2014. From Coldwar Communism to the Global Justice Movement: Itinerary of a Long-Distance Internationalist. * * http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/from_coldwar_communism _to_the_global_emancipatory_movement/ <http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/from_coldwar_communism_to_the_global_emancipatory_movement/> (Free, in two formats) * 2. *2014. Interface Journal Special (Co-Editor), December 2014. 'Social Movement Internationalisms'. <http://www.interfacejournal.net/current/> * 3. *2012. EBook: Recovering Internationalism <http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/recovering_internationalism/>. [A compilation of papers from the new millenium. Now free in two download formats]* 4. *2013. EBook (co-editor), February 2013: World Social Forum: Critical Explorations http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/world_social_forum/ <http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/world_social_forum/>* 5. *2012. Interface Journal Special (co-editor), November 2012: For the Global Emancipation of Labour <http://www.interfacejournal.net/current/>* 6. *Ongoing. Blog: http://www.unionbook.org/profile/peterwaterman. <http://www.unionbook.org/profile/peterwaterman.>* 7. *2005-????. Needed: a Global Labour Charter Movement (2005-Now!) <http://interfacejournal.nuim.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Interface-1-2-pp255-262-Waterman.pdf>* 8. *2011. Under, Against, Beyond: Labour and Social Movements Confront a Globalised, Informatised Capitalism <http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/under-against-beyond/>(2011) (c. 1,000 pages of Working Papers, free, from the 1980's-90's).* _______________________________________________ NetworkedLabour mailing list [email protected] http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://en.wiki.floksociety.org/w/Research_Plan P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/