A letter from Workers and Socialist Party(WASP) in Limpopo

Workers and Socialist Party (Limpopo), hereby condemn the continuous oppression against ordinary workers and communities in Limpopo who are fighting against racism and demanding the reinstatement of 2000 Mineworkers as well as jobs for the unemployed.

While Ivan Glasenberg, Glencore Xstrata CEO, has a net worth of R59, 70 Billion - poor Mineworkers have to be slaughtered to enrich this greedy capitalists more. The dismissal of Xstrata Mineworkers was an attempt to silence the economically and racially oppressed African miners who have historically been semi-slaves under colonialism and the Apartheid system that demonized African working class to advance the interests of British Imperialists. The recent attacks against workers and communities must be met with maximum unity of workers and communities to demand justice and an end to social-injustices taking place in the mines. It is about time that exploited masses erase the shadow of Cecil Rhodes, Marc Rich and Ernest Oppenheimer in the mining industry by nationalizing these decisive economic sector under a democratic control of workers and communities.

The state has continued to protect the interests of Mine Bosses by failing to hold them accountable for the death of Lucas Mamphoke, AMCU shop steward, and the recent death of Mabilu Leon who was killed by Mine Security on the 26th July 2013. However, we are not shocked by the continuous attempts by Police to suppress and intimidate the workers through arrests. Cyril Ramaphosa is owning Xstrata, through Shanduka Group, which is also responsible for providing coal to Eskom. The ANC is today the guardian of Apartheid Architectures and Colonial Masters who are continuing to exploite the African working class through Comprador Bourgeoisie such as Cyril Ramaphosa. 

We, unapologetically, demand the reinstatement of the dismissed miners with immediate effect. Racism is a tool used by capitalists to sustain disunity amongst workers of different races and therefore workers and communities must fight for a world without exploitation - socialism. We are also calling for an urgent Mass meeting of workers and communities to discuss the current status quo and way forward. 

Yours in struggle for emancipation of oppressed people.

Workers and Socialist Party (WASP)