So. African Trade Unions Lead Zimbabwe Solidarity

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Whole article found on Marxmail.org below:
The Congress of South African Trade Unions [COSATU] welcomes
the statement by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman that the
China Ocean Shipping Company which owns the An Yue Jiang,
has decided to recall the ship because Zimbabwe cannot take
delivery of the 77 tonnes of weapons and ammunition onboard.

If true, this is an historic victory for the international trade union
movement and civil society, and in particular for the South African
Transport and Allied Workers Union, whose members refused to unload or
transport its deadly cargo.

Today's meeting between the COSATU General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi
and the Secretary General of the Movement for Democratic Change, Tendai
Biti, confirmed beyond all doubt that the people of Zimbabwe are now
facing a massive crisis - a brutal onslaught from a regime that is
determined to cling to power by stealing the elections and imposing its
will through violence.

In COSATU's view the 'government' of Robert Mugabe is now illegal and
illegitimate. Its term of office expired at the end of March when the
people voted. Its has refused to release the results of the presidential
election and has illegally organised a recount of votes in 23
constituencies in which the ruling ZANU-PF lost narrowly to the MDC,
long after the time limit of 48 hours had expired. It has even been
'recounting' the presidential votes in those constituencies before they
had been announced.

Combined with this blatant vote-rigging, the ruling party has unleashed
a systematic campaign of violence against MDC members and supporters,
which has already claimed at least ten lives. Thousands have been
displaced from their homes, five hundred injured and hospitalised and
these numbers are increasing by the day.

Meanwhile the 'government' is continuing to rule illegally, with the
former ministers restored to their posts, even those who lost their
seats in the parliamentary elections. COSATU demands that the
governments of Africa refuse to recognise this despot who is desperately
hanging on to power, and to stop inviting him to meetings of the SADC or AU.

COSATU salutes the stand taken by its transport affiliate SATAWU and
other unions around the continent, and now calls upon all its affiliates
and Southern African trade union partners, to identify, and refuse to
handle, any goods destined for Zimbabwe which could be used to assist
the illegal government or be used to oppress the people.

The federation will be holding a meeting with civil society, church and
NGO groups on Thursday, 24 April, at which plans will be finalised for a
huge protest march in South Africa, in solidarity with the people of
Zimbabwe, and to demand the removal of the Mugabe dictatorship and the
installation of a government elected by a majority on 29 March 2008.

Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)
Congress of South African Trade Unions
1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets
Braamfontein, 2017
P.O. Box 1019
Johannesburg, 2000
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24
Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667
Cell: 0828217456
patrick@cosatu.org.za