SAMWU General Secretary, Koena Ramotlou, has died

South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) General Secretary, Koena Ramotlou, has died.

Ramotlou passed away in hospital on Saturday, after being hospitalised since 6 December 2020.

Affectionately known as “Kolobe”, Ramotlou was recently elected General Secretary at the union’s 12th National Congress held in December 2020. He also previously served as the union’s Deputy General Secretary after having have been elected to that position in 2015 at the union’s 11th National Congress.

‘’Comrade Koena will be remembered for the love that he had for the country’s municipal workers, the working class and his family. The family’s loss is a loss to the entire union membership and the country’s municipal workers,’’ said Dumisane Magagula, SAMWU Deputy General Secretary.

 ‘’We have been robbed of a dedicated servant of the union who was rooted firmly in the trade union movement and the Mass Democratic Movement structures,’’ he added.

NEHAWU mourned the passing of Ramotlou.

‘’Workers of this country especially municipal workers have certainly lost a tireless leader and a trade unionist of great integrity. Cde Ramotlou was at the forefront of leading the rebuilding of SAMWU including waging a relentless war against employers and National Treasury who are currently leading an onslaught against workers’’.

‘’He will forever be remember for his sharp analytical skills as a Marxist-Leninist. He struggled for the attainment of socialism and fought against the exploitation of workers by the capitalist class. In his honour, NEHAWU recommits itself to aggressively pursue the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) which is a direct route to socialism.’’ The union added.

 

PICTURED: SAMWU General Secretary, Koena Ramotlou.

Done By: Mitchum George