Black workers to strike

Press, 15 May 1985, Page 10

Black workers to strike

NZPA-Reuter Johannesburg Up to half a million South African workers are expected to down tools today during the funeral of a black trade unionist who died last week after a brief time in police detention. A leading white businessman, Johann van Zyle, chief executive of the Federated Chamber of Industries, warned that the two-hour protest was potentially explosive and a black trade union urged the white minority Government to keep security forces away from the funeral.

Thousands of people were

expected at Tsakane township, east of Johannesburg, for the burial of Andries Raditsela, aged 25, who died on May 6, in circumstances still to be clarified, shortly after being released from custody. His union said his death was the result of head injuries and the chief of police has ordered an inquiry. The mass work stoppage, called by black trade unions, was also intended to protest against police and Army presences in black townships across South Africa where more than 150 people have died so far this

year in continuing unrest. Mr Raditsela, a senior shop steward at a Dunlop industrial products plant, was arrested on May 4 and charged under the Internal Security Act. The charges were dropped against him shortly before his release. Though the initial union call was for a two-hour work stoppage today, the Federation of South African Trade Unions urged a oneday strike in Transvaal province, centre of the country’s heavy industry. A similar stoppage in the province last November was accompanied by fierce

fighting in black townships in which scores of residents were killed in clashes with the police. A police spokesman refused to say whether reinforcements were being assigned to Tsakane, where 11 people died in clashes between residents and migrant labourers last week. The spokesman said yesterday had been a relatively quiet day in riot-torn black townships nation-wide, with no deaths recorded. Seven people were reported killed in violence between Friday and Sunday.