South Africa's COSATU, CP 'Unapologetically' Support Venezuela

The Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party in the province of Gauteng announced Tuesday that they will hold a picket in Pretoria Thursday in support of the democratically-elected government of Venezuela and its Bolivarian Revolution.

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In a statement issued by COSATU, the anti-apartheid organizations said, "We unapologetically support the Venezuelan government and condemn the underhanded attempts to destabilize that country."

They also said they will be delivering a memorandum to the U.N. offices at Francis Baard in Pretoria.

Delegates numbering 760 from 33 unions launched COSATU in November 1985 in Durban as the unionized effort against apartheid and to be "committed to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa."

COSATU was also part of the Tripartite Alliance between the leading African National Congress and the SACP. The ANC was formed in 1912 with the aim to unite Africans against the oppression of the ruling white minority and fight against apartheid.

Initially known as the Communist Party of South Africa, the party changed its name to the South African Communist Party in 1953, after it had been forced underground by the apartheid regime. The formation of the Communist Party in 1921 was a turning point in the class struggle in South Africa.

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Together the three organizations led the historic victory against the racist, classist apartheid system, establishing a Black majority rule after its fall.

In 2008, South Africa and Venezuela signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding bilateral consultations and a Framework Agreement on Cooperation.

“The Framework Agreement paved the way for cooperation in the areas of energy, mining, agriculture, social and cultural activities. It was mutually agreed to establish a Joint Bilateral Commission to monitor the implementation of the Cooperation Framework Agreement and to identify new areas of cooperation," the South African government news agency reported.