ANA reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) said on Saturday that the attempted assassination of Allen Thompson, deputy president of the National Teachers’ Union (Natu), was no coincidence.  

KwaZulu-Natal-based Thompson, who is recovering in hospital, survived an attack by heavily armed men on Friday.  A police spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying Thompson had been pursued by assailants who were heavily armed with pistols and rifles.  Police are investigating a case of robbery and attempted murder.  Saftu said in a statement:  “Saftu agrees that it cannot possibly be a coincidence that this well-planned and ruthlessly executed assassination attempt on a trade union leader, in which the target was his laptops, was unconnected with his fight against corruption.  This attack follows other instances of attacks or robberies of trade union officials in which only laptops were stolen, and a series of politically-connected murders in KZN.  On the very same day that Thompson was ambushed, a prominent ANC activist and a municipal councillor from the Inkatha Freedom Party were gunned down in separate incidents.”  Natu president Siphosethu Ngcobo said that, while neither he nor Thompson had received death threats, they had received “warnings” from politicians in KwaZulu-Natal that “we must be careful because we are dealing with ‘sensitive’ matters when uncovering corruption within the education department.

• Read this report in full at The Citizen
• See too, Saftu outraged at alleged assassination attempt on Natu deputy president, at News24
• Read Saftu’s press statement in this regard at Saftu News

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