MEMORANDUM

24/11/2000

The President South Africa

Dear Mr Mbeki

Re: Note of Concern

We the men, women and residents in general of Uitenhage hereby wish to raise our concerns in particular with regard to your statement when you opened parliament this year, when you supported the bosses of Volkswagen in their mass dismissal of over 1400 workers. This statement has given the bosses the political backing to go ahead with the mass dismissal, irrespective of the devastating social and economic effect that it has had. What is of further concern is that you made this statement without even speaking to the workers concerned. We note that from the 3rd February until now you have never come to meet the dismissed workers and their families. It is now a few weeks to go to the elections and now you find the time to meet some part of the community.

We call on you to rectify your statement that you made earlier this year and that you put political pressure on the Volkswagen bosses to reinstate all the dismissed workers. Even so, events have gone so far that since the 3rd February 4 workers have died. Who knows, perhaps if they still had Medical Aid they may still be alive today! The promised free, quality health care is nowhere to be seen.

We wish to bring to your attention that the tripartite alliance in the area has played a major role in causing the mass dismissal of our fellow comrades. Where is the accelerated delivery that you promised? Premier Stofile promised to come back within 14 days. Even today he is still coming.

Let us put it loud and clear, if the workers are not reinstated then how can there be any elections here in Uitenhage?

Let us remind you, Mr President that it was the working class that voted you into government, not the bosses. Many of us have fallen in the struggle for democracy. In the highest region of unemployment, you supported the mass destruction of workers! Many have had their furniture repossessed, their houses taken over by the banks and they have been thrown onto the streets. The education of many children has been damaged.

But we do not consider only the workers of Volkswagen, many others have no democratic rights purely because they don’t have money, or jobs.

Mr President, we say loud and clear, for all the land to hear, NO JOBS, NO VOTE!

We thank you for your attention.

Yours in the struggle

Uitenhage Concerned Women and fellow residents