Date sent: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 11:41:39 +0200

SA Municipal Workers Union

STATEMENT ON THE ARREST OF JOHN PAPE

The Central Executive Committee of SAMWU, meeting on 13/15
November 2002 in Johannesburg, has issued the following
statement on the arrest of John Pape:

The members of SAMWU were shocked to learn of the arrest of
John Pape on 8 November relating to charges of 'terrorism' allegedly
committed in the USA and dating back to the 1970's. The John
Pape(real name James Kilgore) we have come to know -through his
work for ILRIG, his involvement in the Municipal Services Project
and in general education work within and beyond SAMWU is not
the same person that the media has attempted to portray as a
violent terrorist with no regard for human life or property. The use of
terms like gangster and terrorist by the media show a genuine lack
of understanding of who John is and what he stands for. It is
nothing but sensationalist journalism. John has always come
across as a genuine friend of the poor and a strong advocate of
social justice.

Without exception, John has always shown the utmost respect for
decision making processes in the organisations he has worked
with, including SAMWU. With regard to SAMWU, he has played a
big role in enhancing our understanding of the complexities of local
government transformation particularly the dangers of privatisation.

John, like many others of that period, took up a political struggle
against growing USA imperialism. While the tactics employed by
the group that he was a member of are questionable, the objectives
that motivated him and many others are understood. We do not
forget that ANC militants also once resorted to tactics similar to
that of the SLA in order to fight a repressive South African regime
and were branded as terrorists for their actions.

The situation since September 11 makes it very easy to label anyone
a terrorist, even those who are committed to correcting the
injustices which prevail under globalisation. It is our view that John
is not a terrorist. Legacy to this can be found in Zimbabwe and
South Africa, where hundreds of working class people have been
touched and influenced by his valuable contribution to society. We
simply have to look at what is happening to the people of Iraq,
Palestine and Cuba to know who the real terrorists are. John, in
every thing he has done, has shown the utmost respect for people
and their views and was simply glad to be able to play a part in
building a better society.

We join the thousands of ordinary South Africans, very many within
the labour movement, who say that it would be a traversty of justice
if John has to spend even a single day in prison. In his work, he
has more than shown that he has grown beyond the misguided
idealism of the 1970's. Many ordinary workers and intellectuals and
academics can bear testimony to this. To send him to prison would
serve absolutely no purpose and would rob society of the valuable
contribution he can make to the ongoing transformation process in
this country.

End.

Vukani Mde
COSATU Spokesperson

[email][email protected] [2]
082-821-7456
339-4911

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