COSATU+stand,+reply+to+Pillay+letter+by+Craven,+Business+Day

Business Day, Johannesburg, Letters, 24 March 2006
=Cosatu’s stand=

I am writing in reply to the letter from Devan Pillay, Shame on Cosatu (March 22).

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has enormous respect for Pillay. He is a profound left-wing intellectual who has stood firm against the barrage of right-wing, neoliberal propaganda that is flooding the media.

In reply, I refer to the letter from Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu’s views misrepresented (February 21), in response to accusations that Cosatu has decided to remain silent during the Jacob Zuma rape trial

That letter clarified the Cosatu central executive committee’s stand on the rape charges: “That the rights of both the accused and alleged victim must be fully respected. The accused has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty, and to receive a fair trial. The alleged victim has the right to bring charges, and to present her case to the court. We deplore any attempts to bully or intimidate any of the parties to the case.”

We have publicly condemned attempts either to find Zuma guilty before he has been tried, or to demonise and denigrate the alleged rape victim. Cosatu has refrained from making judgments on the details of this court case, as it is for the court to decide on the charges brought before it.

But that does not mean, as Pillay charges, that Cosatu is silent of the issue of violence against women. Cosatu has also made it clear that it has never supported Jacob Zuma for president, but simply demanded that he receive a fair trial.

Pillay has no need to hang his head in bewilderment. Cosatu has not moved an inch from its principled position against the abuse of women. It will continue to campaign for harsh sentences for anyone convicted of such offences, but will not condemn anyone who has not yet been found guilty in a court of law.

Spokesman Cosatu**
 * Patrick Craven

328 words
 * From: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/opinion.aspx?ID=BD4A174767