In the week it was reported that a man driving a black Polo pointed a gun at Uitenhage Crisis Committee Chairperson, WM Ndandani. Despite reporting this matter to the police, they have as yet done nothing about this.

Intimidation from the State forces further increased when the security forces had a meeting in the town of Despatch and planned to maintain a heavy presence of the police and army within Uitenhage. Heavily armed soldiers have been stationed on all routes normally used by the strikers and police routinely follow strikers and committee members, occasionally stopping them without reason and questioning them. The local ANC-controlled council has denied the strikers the use of their normal venue for meetings. The strikers are undeterred and are exploring other venues.

Despite deliberate misinformation from the bourgeois media about alleged UDM involvement, the strikers remain focused on the issue of reinstatement and resisting the ongoing provocation by the state and VW management to divide their ranks.

VWSA management is trying to deny the workers their right to legal representation of their choice by insisting that they deal with NUmsa only, even if it is through officials at regional or national level.

Forward to full reinstatement of all workers! Foward to a worker-controlled Numsa! Down with the pro-boss Numsa officials and leadership!

received and distributed by Wivl for the Uitenhage Crisis Committee
e-mail: wivl@sn.apc.org
e-mail: fmsaba@hot.co.za