The Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party (SRWP) condemns in the strongest terms the brutal actions of the capitalist ANC government for attacking the working class of Boipatong in Sedibeng.
On Wednesday the community marched to the local municipality to demand answers over the fact that they have been without electricity for three weeks. They were joined by members of the SRWP, NUMSA members who are on strike at Arcelor Mittal, as well as members of the United Front. They are united in their demand for electricity.
As members of the community they also staged demonstrations near the offices of ArcelorMittal to demand that the company insource contract workers. It is obvious that ArcelorMittal is using labour brokers and it has found a convenient loophole in the law to abuse workers in this way. What is even more despicable, is that Real Tree Trading, which is one of the biggest contract companies providing most of the labour, is owned by Arcelormittal!
During this peaceful demonstration, the SAPS started shooting at the community with rubber bullets. They shot indiscriminately directly at the crowd, which included women and children and the elederly. One person has been injured during the incident, and had to be rushed to hospital. We condemn the SAPS for using excessive, unnecessary force on unarmed members of the community!
The Capitalist ANC government cares only about production. It does everything to please its master, the World Bank, and other international financial institutions. This is why it ignored the demands of the community, which has been without electricity for three weeks!
The Capitalist ANC government uses the police as a weapon against the masses to punish them for protesting. The police are also used to defend production, at all cost, even if it means shooting and killing innocent members of the community. That is why the police are so brutal and violent against the working class. They exist to serve the bosses, and not the community. What is sad is that the police officers themselves are members of the working class, but they have been brain washed in their training to believe that they are not part of the community. This is intentional. It is done so that it is easier for them to pull the trigger against their own people. It also allows them to participate and to justify the mass murder of the working class, just like they did during Marikana; and the murder of Andries Tatane, and countless other cases of state and police brutality.
We want to remind all police officers that if you shoot one of us, you are shooting yourself. If you attack the community, you are attacking yourself. Your duty is to your community, FIRST. Serve your community. Do not allow yourself to be used by this government to attack your own. You know very well that when things go wrong, as they always do, you are on your own. The government will never come to your defence! They always throw you under the bus to take the blame on your own.
The working class must unite to destroy the brutal Capitalist ANC government, and replace it with Socialism. A caring Socialist government will nationalise all state resources, in order to provide free electricity. We salute the community for their bravery and their courage. We salute them for continuing to wage the struggle for their demands. We salute them for fighting to be free.
Issued by Phakamile Hlubi-Majola
Chairperson Gauteng Interim Provincial Structure SRWP
