ANTI-PRIVATISATION FORUM

PRESS RELEASE
(Tuesday 10th December 2002)

Victory against state repression!
All charges against 93 members of Soldiers Forum dropped

This morning, in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, all charges against the ninety-three (93) members of APF affiliate, the Soldiers Forum (SF), were finally dropped. This is a resounding victory against the South African state’s continuing, and opportunistic, attempts to repress legitimate political dissent and to criminalize the actions of those who are struggling for socio-economic justice.

When the SF members were arrested in mid-August for simply trying to make their way to a protest march on parliament, they were held in prison for nearly one month and faced ludicrous charges of assault, public violence and trespassing. While in prison, these brave comrades were subjected to repeated physical attacks by police authorities, including being sprayed with teargas, baton beatings and being shot at with rubber bullets. Throughout, the SF members maintained their principled stand of the right to freedom of expression and assembly and refused to bow to the state’s attempts at crass intimidation and victimisation.

Even after their release from prison, the SF members continued to face onerous bail conditions and harassment by state forces. After one postponement in November, the state then attempted to save a case that was, from the start, purely driven by political motivations, by offering the SF members a deal - the acceptance of an admission of guilt fine. All SF members refused to be bought-off by this opportunistic move. When their case resumed this morning, they indicated that they were willing to fight the charges to the end. Faced with resilient and principled opponents, the state then capitulated and dropped all charges.

The APF and the SF have, from the beginning of this case, argued that it has being driven by a South African state intent on delegitimizing and criminalizing the struggles of those who seek to expose and oppose its anti-people, neo-liberal policies that are having devastating consequences on workers/poor.

The victory of the SF provides full confirmation of the state’s vacuous, but dangerous, intentions. The APF and SF celebrate this small victory but understand that many larger battles lie ahead. We will never be cowed into submission but will re-double our efforts alongside an increasingly popular and broad front of workers and poor who are struggling for fundamental political and socio-economic changes in South African society and globally.

For further information contact:
Dale McKinley on 072 429-4086
Visit the APF website at http://www.apf.org.za