'Free Moses Mayekiso' campaign under attack

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for those who agree with just one wing of the Black South African liberation movement.' By ALAN Moses Mayekiso, a leading South African trade unionist, is on trial for his life. He and four others have been charged with high treason and sedition-charges that could bring the death penalty. [See December 1987 and February 1988 issues of Socialist Action.] Mayekiso is the general secretary of one of the largest Black unions in South Africa, the 150,000-strong National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). He is also an executive board member of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

An international campaign to free Mayekiso and the four other Black workers was launched by NUMSA shortly after Mayekiso's arrest in 1986. The International Metalworkers Federation, to which NUMSA is affiliated, has endorsed and actively supported this campaign.

In this country, defense activities have been spearheaded by the United Auto Workers union. The UAW has called on unionists and all supporters of democratic rights to send postcards demanding Mayekiso's release to the Embassy of South Africa, 3051 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. [Postcards can be obtained from the UAW International Affairs Department, 1757 N St., N.W., Washington D.C. 20036.] Height of sectarianism Shocking though this may seem, an attack on the international effort to secure Mayekiso's freedom has been launched by the leadership of the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), which is closely affiliated to the African National Congress (ANC).

On Aug. 28, 1987, the London office of SACTU sent out a letter to all British trade unionists and anti-apartheid activists urging them not to support the broadly endorsed Friends of Moses Mayekiso Campaign and not to single out Mayekiso in any defense effort. The letter was signed by Zola Zembe, SACTU's European coordinator.

The first reason given by SACTU for this scandalous position reveals the SACTU and ANC leadership's bitter H..Y opposition to any anti-apartheid effort conducted independently of the ANC and its close associate-the South African Communist Party. The letter states:

"Firstly, the Friends of Moses Mayekiso Campaign was launched without any prior or subsequent consultation with the ANC, SACTU, or AAM [Anti-Apartheid Movement, which is led by the ANC.] "Secondly, it is a fact that the FFMC is being used by sectarian groupings in this country, and our movement does not endorse any such sectarian groups. Historically, these sectarians have and continue to hold a position critical of our Congress Alliance [formed by ANC, SACTU, and other groups in 1955 to support the Freedom Charter]. In addition, their attitude toward the broadly based Anti-Apartheid Movement of Britain has been one of non-cooperation.

"We emphasize that in all the work carried out in relation to South Africa there has to be utmost discipline, and there should always be consultation with the Liberation Movement [sic]."

Hence, according to SACTU, all tendencies in the workers' movement that don't support the Freedom Charter are part of the "Liberation Movement." This is the height of sectarianism!

Release all detainees!

A second reason given by the SACTU leadership for attacking the Free Moses Mayekiso campaign is its alleged opposition to singling out individuals for defense efforts. The SACTU letter states:

"The reason for discouraging the adoption of individual trade unionists is because it is difficult to know what criteria are being used in selecting an individual detainee over and above the thousands of other detained unionists, workers, and activists.

This pretext defies all logic. Moses Mayekiso has international name recognition. His defense campaign can bring world attention to the plight of all detained trade unionists. SACTU, moreover, has been a leading proponent of the Free Nelson Mandela Campaign. Isn't a double standard being applied here?

A leading member of the Azanian People's Organization (AZAPO) was asked why the SACTU leadership has been so vehement in its attacks against Mayekiso. His answer was revealing:

"Comrade Mayekiso has been the only trade union leader to be absolutely outspoken in his rejection of the Freedom Charter from the early 1980s. He has held open debates with proponents of the Charter inside the country during which he has dismissed the Charter as a document that does not meet the workers' interests."

Moses Mayekiso is a genuine leader of the South African trade-union movement and liberation struggle. All efforts to prevent his release must be rejected and condemned because they cut across one of the basic tenets of workers' solidarity—" An Injury to One is an Injury to All!"

Just as we must renew our pledge to free Nelson Mandela and the other detained political prisoners, we must urgently campaign to save Mayekiso from the apartheid state's gallows. International ¿lass solidarity isn't reserved for those who agree with just one wing of the Black South African liberation movement.

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leadership, "What is this Freedom Charter "sectarian." Worse still, they are not even

class solidaritv isn't solidarity