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Africa Subsaharan

Union refuses to off-load Zim-Bob's guns

2008-04-18

Basic story at the South African Times.

Durban - Opposition to a shipment of arms being offloaded in Durban and transported to Zimbabwe increased on Thursday when South Africa's biggest transport workers' union announced that its members would not unload the ship. SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) general secretary Randall Howard said: "Satawu does not agree with the position of the South African government not to intervene with this shipment of weapons.

"Our members employed at Durban container terminal will not unload this cargo neither will any of our members in the truck-driving sector move this cargo by road."

He said the ship, the An Yue Jiang, should not dock in Durban and should return to China. "South Africa cannot be seen to be facilitating the flow of weapons into Zimbabwe at a time where there is a political dispute and a volatile situation between the Zanu-PF and the MDC."

"The view of our members is that nobody should ask us to unload these weapons," he said. Satawu said it planned to ask for support from the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu).

Good man. Hope SA rallies around him.

Posted by:Steve White

#6 WAFF.com [paraph]> STRATEGYPAGE- THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS HALF-MILLION CHINESE AK-47's. All thats known for sure is that theChin AK's weren't for Libya's armed forces nor lawful paramilitaries, and that Italian gangsters were involved.

Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-04-18 21:27

#5 Knifing the old left by embracing racial nationalism? Christ, where have I heard that song before?

Godwin spill on aisle 9.

Posted by: Mitch H. 2008-04-18 16:04

#4 Albemarle Thravitle4170 pretty much nailed it.

Zimbob really doesn't have anything to do with the dispute. It's a convenient excuse.

Satawu is aligned with the Council of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). COSATU is affiliated with the SA communists. Both are ticked off at the current ANC leadership (which isn't hewing to its marxist roots).

Posted by: Pappy 2008-04-18 13:18

#3 Funny you should mention communists, Randall Howard is one of their boys. Google it up, don't take my word for it. He's tight with the reds and this is a good way to stab at Mbeki.

Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-04-18 10:05

#2 mbeki has made his own enemies in RSA. While the Zimbob thing looks like leftie Bob vs right, in SA the lines are bit different, from what I can gather. SA has had this thing where some of the ANC leaders, including Mbeki, are trying to break with the economic left (which includes WHITE communists) and are trying to shore up support by appealing to black race consciousness. Mbeki has that plus his adherence to Mugabe as a fellow liberation fighter - so the actual SA economic left which resents Mbeki - like the trade unions - may be opposing Mugabe mainly as a way to embarass Mbeki.

Posted by: Albemarle Thravitle4170 2008-04-18 09:48

#1 Holy Crap!!!!
Somebody showing some balls!!!
I may have to take back some of the things I've said about S.A.

Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-04-18 08:29

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