8-18-05,11:07am

[This is an edited version of the memorandum handed to the employers of South Africa at Khutala Mine, Mpumalanga, on 6 August 2005, at the launch of COSATU’s campaign against racism.]

Eleven years into our democracy, the demon of racism is still stalking our land. It is one of the biggest challenges facing the trade union movement. Evidence of its continued existence can be found in both official reports and the daily experience of our members.

Racism in South Africa was imposed by the colonial powers and institutionalised in law and brutally imposed through the apartheid state apparatus. Black people were denied the vote or any control over government. In rural areas they were thrown into Bantustans under imposed leaders. In the urban and mining areas, migrant workers were forced to live in single-sex hostels or townships, as reserves of cheap labour. Movement was strictly controlled through laws and the police.

Blacks were not only oppressed as blacks but as workers. They were denied a stake in the economy and used as wage-labourers with no right to ownership and limited to jobs that ensured they remained at the bottom of the economic and social ladder.

The 1994 democratic elections marked a turning point in our struggle against. Since then, we have put in place a constitution and many laws which decree that people must no longer be discriminated against on the basis of colour, creed, sexual orientation or social standing. They include the Employment Equity Act (EEA), which was supposed to ensure that all employers train and promote workers so that the demographics of the workplace reflect the racial and gender composition of the country.

Apartheid has however left a deep-seated legacy. While the system has been defeated politically, its economic and social ravages are still highly visible. Most of the majority African population still live in poverty, while their white employers prosper as before.

We are still a society of two nations - one powerful, wealthy and overwhelmingly white, the other powerless, poor and predominantly black. Whites still mainly hold most highly skilled jobs, such as managers, accountants, highly specialised artisans and technicians.

At the Khutala colliery, where the campaign was launched, an investigation by Bartholomew and Associates into allegations of racism and an assessment of employment equity compliance, has confirmed many of the workers’ views. Although not accepting all the allegations of racism, the report agreed that:

The Employment Equity Forum is ineffective; The entire executive management team is white; The recruitment process does not have any credibility; There is only one black senior manager at one level in the mine; The manner in which a senior manager’s duties were reassigned could be viewed as racist; There are no black secretaries at the mine; In most instances business meetings are conducted in Afrikaans; Inconsistencies in disciplinary action are racist On compliance with the Employment Equity Act, the report found that:

There is very little compliance in respect of black females; Steps should be taken to ensure that individual career planning is done; The fast tracking of black employees should be given more attention; The absence of black employees at the senior levels must be given urgent attention; Training and development should be more focussed in respect of black employees; There should be more access for the disabled to the building and within different complexes;

The use of Afrikaans must disappear from all form/business engagements; Recruitment and selection should be more inclusive of labour; Appointment of while females is given unfair priority above other designated groups. We are demanding that all these recommendations be implemented immediately, by Khutala and equivalent demands by all other private and public employers, and that threatened disciplinary action against Khutala shop stewards who raised allegations by dropped.

COSATU will not rest until the scourge of racism has been purged from our society. Our 7th National Congress resolved: “To reject the notions of racism, tribalism and xenophobia, and to maintain the unity of the oppressed masses of our country, to develop a solid class analysis of racism, tribalism and xenophobia and to develop a coherent national public campaign against racism, tribalism and xenophobia”. This campaign is how we intend to implement this resolution.

Say NO to racism! Make all workplaces racism free! Comply with the spirit and letter of the Employment Equity Act! Fast-track appointment and promotion of women, black people and workers with disabilities! Support the COSATU campaign against racism!