14 August 2001
The South African Communist Party (SACP), Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African National Civics Organisation (SANCO) call on all South Africans, black and white, to support protests against attempts by the government of the United States of America (USA) to bully, dominate and subject the world to its own interests. In the recent period this attitude has manifested itself through threats to either boycott or send a low level delegation to the World Conference Against Racism and Xenophobia due to be held in Durban from the end of August.
To this end, the SACP, COSATU and SANCO will mobilise its members and supporters, to protest the US Embassy in Pretoria (877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia) from 13h30 - 14h30 and the US Consulate in Durban (333 Smith Street, Durban) from 12h00 - 14h00 on Thursday, 16 August 2001.
The pretence of the US government is that of objecting to the Conference conducting a discussion of Zionist racism against Palestine and reparations for victims of slavery and colonialism. This is not acceptable. Zionist racism and reparations for victims of slavery and colonialism must be on the agenda of the World Conference. The struggle against Zionist racism and effectively addressing the issue of reparations is part of the struggle of poor and working people across the world against capitalist globalisation and for social progress, freedom, justice, democracy and peace.
The US attitude underlines the need for the fundamental transformation and democratisation of the United Nations, its Security Council and other multi-lateral institutions such as the World Trade Organisation, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. For a long while, the US has used these institutions to police and bully the world and poor countries in particular. It is about time that the US gets told that the UN and all these institutions belong to the whole world and that poor and working people across the world cannot take the arrogance and narrow selfish interests of the US capitalists no more.
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara - SACP
Cell: 083 651 0271
Patrick Craven or Moloto Mothapo - COSATU
Cell: 082 821 7456
Donovan Williams - SANCO