Outcomes from Provincial Executive Committee meeting of COSAS Western Cape

Sunday November 02

Following PEC sat this weekend. We covered many issues, from Matric, leadership of the ANCYL, abuse of children at schools to our solidarity efforts for the Palestinians. Western Cape COSAS PEC found itself extremely united during this complex difficult time of Matric, Zionism and political contestation. We are able to collectively resolve on many issues.

Due to media frenzy, much misrepresentation and attention seeking from the paranoid racist board of White Jewish Deputies we found it necessary to elaborately address the "Stop the Pigheaded Woolworths" and the "boycott Woolworthless campaign". In light of this we decided to dedicate much of this statement to the Palestinian solidarity campaign, to avoid further misrepresentation of our views.

OVERVIEW OF ISSUES AND RESOLUTIONS

1. Matric Exams-

We noted the extreme hardship that faced high school students in the Western Cape and the ongoing neglect of school children, in particular children who live in townships, in the Western Cape.

COSAS noted our concern that some parents do not take into account matric students' emotional needs and their feelings during exams.

We noted that there is serious danger that many young people will face serious depression during this difficult time.

We noted that many of our PEC members, including our provincial chairperson, were doing their Matric exams and wished them well.

2. Schools campaign against corporal punishment-

Students are running out of patience and our members have noted that if schoolteachers continue to beat school children our members will begin to retaliate.

COSAS is tired of children being beaten like animals.

COSAS resolved to mandate our members to warn the teachers concerned.

3. School fees issues in Western Cape

No school child doing Matric should be denied their right to do exams, regardless of if the school they attend is a no fee school or not.

We believe that schools like Bishops should also be free and reiterated our demand for free quality education. 

4. National Leadership of COSAS

The PEC of COSAS Western Cape resolved to support the following comrades in the upcoming national congress of COSAS:

President: Cde Siphakamise Ngwowa

Deputy President: Cde Sandra Baloyi

Secretary General: Cde Abram Moplake

Deputy Secretary General: Cde Phindile Mdande

Treasurer: Cde Lonwabo Dyi

5. Baseless rumors of suspension of Western Cape COSAS Chairperson:

The program of Palestinian solidarity was a provincial program and no one can be suspended for this. We have received no correspondence from NEC of COSAS and therefore dismiss claims and media comments of a suspension as unlawful, unprocedural, baseless and not communicated to Western Cape.

We are a militant radical organization and we therefore do not grandstand in the media, the culprits who have made these claims should step forward and identify themselves. We will not allow factional, Zionist, conservative and counter revolutionary individuals to intimidate our radical chairperson Cde Siphakamise Ngxowa.

We are an organization not some shabeen, if organizational procedures are not followed then these attempts have no legal bearing. We are well aware of the national COSAS politics at play surrounding comrade Cde Siphakamise Ngxowa and will not allow people to be suppressed because of factionalism or Zionism.

Cde Siphakamise is a front runner in the race to be president of COSAS and we know that there are some NEC members, led by the current president of COSAS, who are hell bent and stifling democracy in COSAS through bogus and baseless suspensions. We support cde Siphakamise to be emerge as president of the COSAS and will no allow factional interference in matter of discipline.

6. ANCYL Western Cape provincial leadership in upcoming ANCYL Western Cape provincial congress:

For leadership of the ANCYL Western Cape in the upcoming congress COSAS resolved to support the following:

Chairperson: Cde Muhammad Khalid Sayed

Deputy Chairperson: Cde Wela

Secretary: Cde Andile Mbali

Deputy Secretary: Cde Marissa Van Rensburg

Treasurer: Cde Khaya Yozi

We further support the following PEC members to emerge:

Cde Niyaaz Hakim

Cde Benjamin Zantsi

Cde Lwazi Somanya

Cde Sive Gumede

Cde Luvuyo Mpofu

Cde Masbulele Tolofane

Cde Lubabalo Sigwela

Cde Noxolo Qahani

Cde Luzuko Bashman

7. ANCYL National leadership in upcoming ANCYL congress:

Western Cape COSAS is clear and believes several other COSAS provincial structures are clear on the following top 5:

President: Cde Magazela Mzobe

Deputy President: Cde Ronald Lamola

Secretary General: Cde Mawethu Rune

Deputy Secretary General:  Cde Loyiso Nkohla

Treasurer General: Braam Hanekom

For NEC:

Cde Sifiso (Southern Cape)

Cde Roscoe Jacobs

Cde Sanele Zondi

Cde Adele Niadoo

Cde Mayihlome Tshwete

Cde Nokhutula

Cde Bayanda Mzoneli

Cde Bongani Khuluse

Cde Adella Naidoo

Cde Smangaliso Mtengwane

Cde Zuko Godlimpi

Cde Azania Matiwane

Cde Muhammad Desai

Cde Brigid Mogakwe

Cde Nokhutula Mbesa

8. Palestine solidarity

ON WOOLWORTHS COVERUP:

WE ARE VERY DISAPOINTED THAT WOOLWORTHS HAS NOT REPORTED TO THE MEDIA OR PUBLIC, OR MAYBE HAS NOT LOCATED THE 3 PIGS HEADS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN 3 STORES IN THE WESTERN CAPE.

WOOLWORTHLESS IS NOT HALAAL AND IT IS NOT KOSHER!

PIGHEADED WOOLWORTHS BOSSES MUST COME CLEAN AND SAY WHY THEY HAVE HIDDEN THE OTHER 3 PIGSHEADS.

Media coverage:

We are very disappointed in how the media have failed to give balanced coverage of the militant and radical actions of COSAS Western Cape in our campaign against the PIGS at Woolworths

The media has not covered our statements but seem fixated on pictures and short catchy headlines instead of focusing on the Pig-headed Woolworths management, who continue to arrogantly defy the clear call of South African consumers for Woolworths to cut all ties with the Apartheid state of Israel.

The complete failure by media to hold Woolworths accountable for its shocking and relentless racist support of Israeli Apartheid and murder of Palestinian children is glaring in many sections of the media

The complete failure of the media to write the real story of how as racist elite group of white men who own Woolworths continue to refuse to listen to the voice of activists across South Africa and have betrayed even their shareholders by choosing to support Israel over their profits and brand name.

Media must not pretend the murders in Gaza did not happen

ON CLAIMS THAT WE HATE JEWISH PEOPLE

Pigs heads and some resources needed for this campaign have come from Jewish people.

The gathering of racist white people and armed white militia or "security of a special kind" was organized by the DA and their Israeli funders.

The illegal and unpermitted public gathering, which aimed to portray Jewish people as victims- while they still are enjoying the sweet taste of the yoke of white Aparthied privilege, is a mockery to South African black people.

The Jewish people in South Africa were with us in the struggle against Aparthied, but this racist DA group called the Jewish Board of Deputies never once through Apartheid issued a single statement to support our black people.

We love Jewish people, we love Christian people, we love Quaker people, we love Buddhist people and we even love people who do not believe in God- but we do not love racist and oppressive people.

We will write to Jewish Voices for Peace and other progressive non-racist Jewish people to explain to them our campaign.

ON THE ANC STATEMENT BY CDE JESSIE DUARTE

We recognize the good image that the ANC as the ruling party has to maintain through distancing itself from our important campaign; we are not hurt or insulted by the ANC or ANC DSG cde Jessie Duarte who is our leader. We love Cde Jessie and we know that she has never compromised in her support for the plight Palestinian people or working class South Africans.

ON THE WESTERN ANC PROVINCIAL SECTRETARY'S COMMENTS

We see the ANC provincial secretary Cde Songezo Mjongile statement as a malicious and factional statement. How can a former COSAS leader who threw petrol bombs at progressive white people, lecture us?

He must stop seeking relevance in his factional ambitions through commenting on us and focus rather on why he stopped the thousands of jobs that Seskhona was negotiating from materializing.

Songezo must not talk of discipline as he himself instructed the ANCYL to disrupt Cde Jacob Zuma our president in Goodhope centre only a short time ago

In light of the Mangaung conference outcomes Songezo continues to lick his wounds and trying to appear as disciplined member of the ANC.

ON THE PIGS CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE PIG HEADED MANAGEMENT AT WOOLWORTHS:

The PEC resolved and reaffirmed that the program was and is a program of the COSAS Western Cape and reject any attempts to confuse the public into thinking that it is an individual's campaign

We will continue fearlessly to role out this important conference

We will soon hold a press conference specifically to address this.

Statement issued by Siphakamise Ngxowa COSAS Western Cape chairperson and Siphelo Makeleni, PEC Secretary, November 2 2014

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