SAMWU Remembers Saulspoort Dam victims

01 May 2018

SAMWU Remembers Saulspoort Dam victims

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in celebrating this year’s May Day is reminded of the tragic bus accident wherein we lost over 50 members who where on their way to May Day celebrations in Bethelhem but met their untimely death when their bus plunged into the Saulspoort Dam in Qwa Qwa.

The 1st of May is a sad reminder of this dark day for SAMWU and the working class which occurred in 2003. We however take comfort in the knowledge that they had seen the need to be part of the May Day celebrations so they too can participate in the advancement of the working-class struggle.

These comrades had acknowledged that the working class is under immense pressure from the onslaught that had been waged by capital hence they saw a need for them to participate in the 2003 May Day rally, they knew that workers have nothing to lose by organising but only their chains.

As we celebrate this year’s May Day, we take off our hats in honor of the Saulspoort Dam victims and trust that their revolutionary spirits will continue to live amongst us. In remembrance of their revolutionary spirits, we encourage the broader working class to attend May Day rallies which have been organised COSATU across the country.

Unionised or not unionised, South African workers and their families should go out in their numbers to celebrate the gains that organised labour has made against the exploitative capitalist system. This should also be an opportunity for South African workers to regroup and restrategize against capitalism which is forever evolving.

Issued by SAMWU Secretariat

Simon Mathe
General Secretary
(079 887 8389)

Moses Miya
Deputy General Secretary
(082 899 2169)

or

Papikie Mohale
National Media Officer
(073 710 0356)