The mailing says nine members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) were detained on April 22 by apartheid authorities in the Venda Bantustan; they are among 19 hospital workers fired earlier this year after leading a strike at Venda's Siloam hospital against incompetent and racist doctors. According to COSATU officials in Venda, the nine have no legal representation and are unable to post the R2,000 ($800) demanded by the bantustan police. The Venda security forces are notorious for their use of torture against trade union, church and anti-apartheid activists, and NEHAWU President Beki Mkhize has been the target of two assassination attempts this year alone. The...
The mailing says nine members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) were detained on April 22 by apartheid authorities in the Venda Bantustan; they are among 19 hospital workers fired earlier this year after leading a strike at Venda's Siloam hospital against incompetent and racist doctors. According to COSATU officials in Venda, the nine have no legal representation and are unable to post the R2,000 ($800) demanded by the bantustan police. The Venda security forces are notorious for their use of torture against trade union, church and anti-apartheid activists, and NEHAWU President Beki Mkhize has been the target of two assassination attempts this year alone. The mailing urges that people demand the release of the Venda Nine and an end to attacks on NEHAWU by sending faxes to Ambassador Harry Schwarz at the South African Embassy in Washington, DC; U.S. Ambassador to South Africa William Swing in Pretoria; and Gabriel Ramushwana, Venda Authorities, Sibasa, Venda. Contact Mike Fleshman, Labor Desk Coordinator, for more information.
