For Immediate Release
27th August 2022
SATAWU’S SHOP STEWARD GUNNED DOWN
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union sends its heartfelt condolences to the family, comrades, and friends of the late Comrade Nelson Madumo Manelo. The selfless SATAWU Chairman in Tshwane North passed away in the early hours today. The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union can confirm that Comrade Nelson was shot dead by unknown men in Pretoria, Gauteng Province.
It is with very sadness that SATAWU has lost such a very hard working and young promising man (33). Comrade Nelson has worked very hard in Gauteng, Tshwane in particular, to recruiting the poor and the working class to join the organisation (SATAWU). The late comrade Nelson was also a member in good standing of the Governing Party, the African National Congress (ANC) in Tshwane.
The reason behind his killing is still unknown, and the organisation would at this stage not want to assume whether it is politically related or not as a case was opened and still under the investigation, it would be very unprofessional and unaccepted of the union to do so.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union calls on authorities to leave no stone unturned on comrade Nelson’s brutal killing. As much as SATAWU would not want to mention or to go back but this is very triggering to the union, in 2015 the Gauteng Provincial Secretary of SATWU, comrade Chris Nkosi was shot dead in Johannesburg.
SATAWU believes that anything cannot be resolved without having to kill and attack innocent souls.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union would also want to ask the members of the media to give the family privacy during this difficult time. The Union will update its members and workers of the Memorial Service and the official funeral when then family has met and given a direction to the union.
We wish to once again send our deepest condolences and strength to the Manelo family, They are in our prayers and thought. May his rest in peace.
Lala kahle Mkhonto.
Issued By SATAWU