SAFTU condemns the assassination of the DEMAWUSA Leader in Nelson Mandela Metro, comrade Bongani Cola
The spear of a gallant fighter has fallen – pick it up!
Yet another political activist was gunned down and killed in front of his own children yesterday morning. This time the target was SAFTU! A deputy chairperson of DEMAWUSA in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan, comrade Bongani Cola was brutally killed as he was living home for work by unknown assailants who shot him as he was closing his garage. They did not take his car, which was idling outside the yard; they did not take anything in the car or from him. They shot him twice and left him in the pool of his blood.
We have lost count of activists who have been assassinated in the Nelson Mandela Metro. This region has long become the silent killings fields of South Africa. There is hardly anyone who has been arrested and put on trial for all these estimated more than twenty killings.
Bongani Cola together with a core of activists all of whom former SAMWU activists have been making rapid progress in recruiting workers in the Nelson Mandela Metro. This is undoubtedly would have angered the enemies of genuinely progressive, independent, democratic, campaigning and socialist-oriented forces. He became a threat to the status quo, and he had to be eliminated.
SAFTU condemns this killing of Bongani Cola. We call on the SAPS investigators to leave no stone unturned to find those who assassinated Bongani Cola. The investigation should not be limited to only the probably hired assassins but extent to those who may be planning and hiring of assassins.
We call on Minister of Police, Bheki Cele to personally intervene and appoint a special task team to investigate not just the assassination of Bongani Cola but all the other killings estimated to be more than 20 to date.
SAFTU passes its deepest condolences to the family of comrade Bongani Cola. We wish them, his friends, neighbours and colleagues in DEMAWUSA strength and courage in these trying times.
To the leadership of DEMAWUSA and SAFTU in the Nelson Mandela and the entire Eastern Cape, we say, “Don’t Mourn – Mobilize! Don’t Moan – Mobilize! Let the death of this militant galvanise them all to work even harder in recruiting more workers and protecting their interests. The spear of a gallant fighter has fallen – pick it up! Workers enemies aim to use death and personal security to intimidate and deter us from the path we have chosen; we shall not be intimidated; we shall not be deterred.
