Statement of the Alliance Secretariat

12 September 2014

The Alliance Secretariat, consisting of the secretaries and deputy secretaries of all Alliance partners, met on Friday 12 September in its regular meeting and discussed organizational and political matters. The meeting also discussed issues pertaining to State/ public Institutions and matters of International Solidarity.

The Alliance Secretariat agreed as follows:

On the Creative Industry

The Alliance support the call made by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) for a complete black-out of Generations, from15-22 September. This will demonstrate to the producers and owners of the soap opera that the people of South Africa support the actors in their call for an end to the exploitative practices in the creative sector.

The Alliance further calls for a fundamental overhaul of the creative sector and for workers in the industry - actors, musicians and technicians - to organize and be given support in their struggles to enjoy full workers' rights as enshrined in the constitution.

As a country we can no longer allow creative workers to die as paupers when producers continue to amass millions and live a life of opulence at the expense of workers.

The Alliance urges the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to address the lack of real transformation in the commissioning and production of SABC programmes as well as the content that has to reflect a true South African story. The time to transform the creative sector is now.

The Alliance is calling on members of the public to join the planned Alliance march to the SABC offices and the offices of all the identified culprits, who think they can exploitcreative workers without consequences.

On Swaziland

The Alliance calls for the release of comrade Mario Masuku and all other political prisoners in Swaziland. South Africa must confer refugee status on those fleeing from political persecution in their home-country. We urge the people and government of Swaziland to speedily move towards democracy.

On Lesotho

The Alliance urges the speedy resolution of the conflict and challenges in Lesotho as this affects the people of Lesotho and the whole Southern African region adversely.

On the Middle East

As the Alliance we are now heightening our campaign aimed at boycotting and isolating Israel as a state founded on the basis of apartheid, which according to international law and several UN conventions is a crime against humanity.

We therefore pledge ongoing solidarity with the people of Palestine and will enhance our support for the boycott, disinvestment and sanction initiatives against the state of Israel. The Alliance further calls on transport sector workers, at South African docks and airports to neither offload products from Israel nor upload products bound for Israel. We also call on retail sector workers to refuse to handle or package products manufactured in or originating from Israel.

Statement issued by Gwede Mantashe: Secretary General, ANC, Zwelinzma Vavi: General Secretary, COSATU, Solly Maphaila: Deputy General Secretary, SACP, Robert Tsikwe, Deputy Secretary General, SANCO, September 12 2014

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