WATCH: Numsa marches to US Embassy, demands release of Mumia Abu-Jamal

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has demanded the immediate release of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former member of the Black Panther Party in the US.

The trade union is marching to the US Embassy in Pretoria on Friday, to hand over a letter of their demands.

Watch the video of Numsa calling for the release of Abu-Jamal

Mumia Abu-Jamal

Abu-Jamal has spent over 40 years in jail, the majority of which was spent on death row for the 1981 murder of Daniel Faulkner in Philadelphia.

Abu-Jamal is considered a political prisoner as supporters argue that his conviction of killing a Philadelphia police officer is wrongful, and is a cover-up for state repression of his political work.

Pressure on judges

Speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where the march commenced, Numsa national organiser, Ndiki Zwelohlanga said they want to put pressure on US judges to release Abu-Jamal.

“This is a wrongful arrest. Someone who is accused of the murder that he never did, he is an activist.”

Campaign trail

Speaking to The Citizen, Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said the they have been on the campaign with Abu-Jamal for many years.

“This is not the first time we’ve reached out to leaders in the American government to respond from a humanitarian perspective on the plight of Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Copy of the letter that will be handed over the US Embassy

In 2016, the general secretary of Numsa, Irvin Jim, wrote a letter to then governor of Philadelphia, Thomas Westerman Wolf. At the time, Abu-Jamal needed lifesaving Hepatitus medication and the governor was denying him that treatment while he was in prison. We campaigned and were part of the global campaign, and he eventually go the treatment,” Hlubi-Majola said.

Calls for Abu-Jamal’s release

Majola said locally there is a lot of pressure on the US government surrounding the immediate release of Abu-Jamal.

“All we are doing is amplifying the message from our end because we believe it is time that he should be set free and his continued incarceration would be a violation of human rights.”

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