Johannesburg –

The removal of a man’s shirt and trousers by Cosatu members during a rally in Rustenburg was regrettable, the union federation said on Tuesday.

The rally, held at the Olympia stadium on Saturday, was interrupted by members of the Marikana Support Campaign (MSC), Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement.

“One member of the group, Mr Rehad Desai, had his shirt and trousers removed by some of our members. We deeply regret this incident, but it must be pointed out that he was not harmed,” Craven said.

He claimed the MSC pretended to be supporting Cosatu, but began burning Cosatu and National Union of Mineworkers’ branded T-shirts.

Billy Zulu, a national organiser of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (CEPPWAWU), was assaulted, allegedly for wearing a red T-shirt.

Craven expressed Cosatu’s “profound thanks” to photographers who rescued Zulu.

Cosatu criticised the police for using rubber bullets to disperse striking Anglo American Platinum workers at the rally.

“This is further evidence, already seen at Marikana on 16 August, of the SAPS’ abysmal lack of training in crowd control and forward planning,” he said. – Sapa