COSATU welcomes the Supreme Court of Appeals ruling clearing COSATU of Anti-Semitism and hate speech allegations

4 December 2018

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeals that upheld our appeal against the Equality court’s ruling that found COSATU guilty of anti-Semitism and hate speech.

The Israeli lobby (SA Jewish Board of Deputies) took both COSATU and its International Secretary to the Equality Court falsely accusing the federation and its official of anti-Semitism and hate speech. This was an attempt to silence and isolate the federation and all supporters of freedom for the Palestinian people.

This was not just a trial against COSATU and its International Secretary, Bongani Masuku, but effectively a trial against workers rights to offer solidarity, freedom of expression and the struggle for justice and dignity for all.COSATU has and will continue to be vocal against the apartheid rule of Israel, supported by the US in its brutal annexation of lands of other people.

We will never keep quiet in the face of extreme barbarism of Israel against the Palestinian people. The ruthless massacre of innocent children, women and ordinary Palestinians in Gaza represents the continuation of the colonial, apartheid and racist policy of occupation against the Palestinians.

What was more heartbreaking about this case was to see the deterioration of an institution like the South African Human Rights Commission that has essentially out-sourced its work to the SA Jewish Board of Deputies. This is happening at a time when the rights of domestic and farm workers are violated with impunity by employers on a daily basis. We have submitted dossier after dossier to them but they are too busy doing the bidding of the Zionist lobby.

COSATU will study the ruling with its lawyers and issue a comprehensive statement later on this matter.

Issued by, Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 4 December 2018