LIMUSA statement on attempts at the life of Sboniso Mdletshe

The Liberated MetalWorkers Union of South Africa is shocked by the attempt at the life of its President, comrade Sboniso Mdletshe this morning as he left his place of residence at Midrand, Gauteng. Comrade Mdletshe was on his way to a meeting at COSATU house when an occupant of an unidentified vehicle started taking pictures of a vehicle driven by comrade Mdletshe.

Soon after that he was followed by a BMW to a petrol station wherein one of the occupants with a visible firearm emerged. It was at this moment that comrade Mdletshe ran to a building next to the petrol station and alerted police. The BMW drove off after realising that he has left the petrol station.

The attempt at the life of our President comes after his vehicle was broken into just outside COSATU house and a bag containing important documents pertaining to his case at ABB was taken except for his money and other valuable items.

We are convinced that this is a concerted effort to annihilate LIMUSA at its formative years by neutralizing its key individuals by all means necessary; including unjust dismissals as it is the case at ABB where the same comrade was dismissed even after an appeal hearing held earlier this week.

It must be noted that the attempt at comrade Mdletshe’s life comes whilst the memory of our departed founding President, comrade Sfiso Maphumulo who met his untimely demise at the hands of road carnage early this year, is still fresh on our minds. It would have opened undesirable memories had the assailants succeeded.

In conclusion, we call on police to investigate these concerted efforts to assassinate comrade Mdletshe and bring to book those who are behind these acts. We further call on our members to remain resolute in the fight against rogue employers who continue to exploit workers through labour brokers. It is this fight against labour brokers that led to the unjust dismissal of President by his employer. As such, we must use his case as a driving force to escalate the fight against labour brokers and take it to all employers who have enjoyed a time of peace before the formation of LIMUSA.

LIMUSA is here to stay and no amount of dismissals and attempts at the lives of our leaders will stop us from fulfilling our historic mission, which is to liberate metal workers from the jackboot of exploitation.

Issued by LIMUSA General Secretary Cedric Gina, 16 October 2015