My Comrades, I would like to thank each and everyone of you from across the country, continent and globe for your overwhelming support during this minor test. On Monday the 18th of November, workers of Tradeport Distribution, Favours Cash & Carry, Browns Hyperstore and Cool Ice, all embarked on a strike so as to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the deplorable wages they earn and their untenable working conditions. The workers had indicated that they would like the Mazibuye African Forum to represent them in negotiating with their employers. Browns Hyperstore is the worst among the lot as most workers earn as little as R28 per day. On Monday, the entire MAF leadership attended the demonstration as there was four strikes combined into one. The workers and those who were supporting them were peaceful and non-violent, they sang traditional Zulu songs and danced. The workers then sat on the road that leads to these businesses. A number of Metro Police officers arrived and also members of the SAPS arrived. A variety of units arrived as well. The African Metro police and SAPS interacted with some leaders of the forum and the leaders explained to them the issues of these workers. Most of the Metro police officers and SAPS members including the Tactical Response Team (TRT) or better known as Amaberet, who were African, understood the cause and decided to just observe and not to disrupt as they felt that indeed this exploitation of innocent African workers must be exposed and dealt with someway or the other, thus the demonstration continued in the presence of a large contingency of these law enforces. Indian SAPS members, particularly Colonel Lalla who is the Head of Detectives in Phoenix, who shares an intimate relationship with Schabir Akoonjee who is one of the shareholders of Tradeport and Favours, was absolutely livid that African police officers were not aggressive against the workers. He then called the Phoenix Police Station Commander, Brigadier Makhoba, who as rumours have it, also shares a close personal relationship with the Akoonjee Family. She then ordered that police officers arrest all the workers but most particularly the Mazibuye African Forum leadership. The Indian SAPS members then jumped at that opportunity and arrested as many people as they could lay their hands, some of the Indian police officers began assaulting some people which was when African police officers intervened and chose to arrest people themselves in a non-violent manner as workers were beginning to retaliate from the brazen beatings, which were unleashed by these Indian officers even on female workers. All-in-all there were 44 people who were arrested and taken to the Phoenix Police Station, it is imperative to note that there were people who were arrested who were not even part of the strike, who dont work for any of these companies and who are not members of the Mazibuye African Forum. 3 indian drivers of Tradeport who had joined the strike were released outside the Phoenix Police Station - We have video footage and images of this. At the Phoenix Police Station, we were then kept for several hours, as African police officers were arguing that we must be released yet Colonel Lalla insisted that we be charged. We were then charged with illegal gathering, the very same apartheid passed law that was used by the SAPS which resulted in miners being killed in cold-blood in Marikana. On Tuesday the 19th of November, we were all taken to Verulem Magistrates Court, upon arrival at the court, we did see a large number of supporters of the MAF and also family members of workers, who were apparently prevented from entering the court for reasons only Colonel Lalla would know. We were then suddenly taken to the Phoenix Magistrates Court where we appeared and were informed by the magistrate that charges of public violence, intimidation and incitement were added. Leaders of MAF told the magistrate that the added charges have no weight and are not true. The magistrate was also told that we only knew about the illegal gathering charge which is a schedule 1 case and is mostly a warning or just a free bail. The state prosecutor who was an African lady opposed bail stating that they needed time to confirm addresses. The magistrate then ordered that bail application be adjourned till Friday the 22nd of November and for us to remain in custody till then. Once we were in the holding cells at the court, in an unusual manner, the Magistrate appeared and informed us that our bail application will no longer be on Friday but on Thursday the 21st of November. This ruling made not in a court room but outside holding cells. We were then taken back to Phoenix Police Station. On Wednesday, we asked a lawyer just to deal with the technicalities which are required however we understood that this is a minor case thus we wanted to represent ourselves as the leadership. On Thursday the 21st of November, people were told that they will not get their belongings, particularly their cell-phones as they were going to get warnings at the court and released, then will be taken back to Phoenix Police Station to get their belongings. Upon arrival at the Verulam Magistrates Court, we were informed that our bail application was to be heard at 13h00pm. When we were called up, the prosecutor had changed and now was an indian male with the Magistrate also being an indian female. The state was not opposed to bail but demanded that we are not let off with a warning or free bail, the magistrate then obliged to this and ordered bail to be R1500 for accused no.1 who is our spokesperson Zweli Sangweni on the basis of him having a past conviction and the rest of us she ordered that we pay R500 per person. She also ordered that we do not enter the premises of Cool Ice, Browns Hyperstore, Favours Cash & Carry and Tradeport Distribution, she also ordered that we do not interfere with staff. When one of the MAF leaders contested these conditions and the bail amount, stating that these people were demonstrating because the had been owed monies by the very same companies and were far too poor to afford R500 bail, the magistrate called him a racist, adjourned the court and stormed out even before the court proceedings could finish as the translator hadnt been able to translate as english is not our mother tongue. I immediately order the lawyer to file an urgent appeal against the ruling and also instructed him to involve an Advocate going forward. The workers were disheartened and angry at this apartheid style injustice and had wanted to demonstrate their anger by refusing to leave the court-room, however I was able to convince them that we cannot fight this war in prison, it would be better that go back to the holding cells, and make means to bail out all the workers. They obliged to this. The African SAPS members and employees of the court who were all African and I must say some who were indian, felt sincere sympathy for us and could not believe what they had witnessed, the conduct of the magistrate demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt and confirmed the rumours, that the Akoonjee Family have police, prosecutors and magistrates on their payroll. Now a dilemma ensued, as the cellular phones of all the people were in Phoenix Police Station, thus people werent able to call those whom they believed could bail them out. It would seem this was carefully orchestrated by Colonel Lalla and Brigadier Makhoba. Thankfully some of us were able to receive bail and by the time that MAF leaders were released, it was too late for us to bail out everyone. It pains me so much that 25 people including 1 female have had to spend the night at Westville Prison purely for fighting for their rights and some for only being at the wrong place at the wrong time as it were. Today, as I wake up, we are to bail out all those we couldnt yesterday. On Saturday, the 23rd of November, we are to hold a meeting at the KwaMashu Cross-Section Park, near the Shell Garage at 15h00pm with all the workers. We are going to intensify our campaign even more, these workers are humans and must earn a living wages, a job is not a favour it is a labour and thus every single citizen must earn a living wage and most particularly indigenous Africans. The whole world has seen that we have been provoked, and the retaliation will commensurate the provocation. The struggle continues, Phambili Mazibuye African Forum Phambili, phansi ngamandiya phansi!
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 04:26:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015