Trade union federation Cosatu is outraged at plans by a veteran trade unionist in London to auction a signed copy of the Freedom Charter.
Leon Levy, a former president of the defunct SA Congress of Trade Unions, recently revealed his intention to sell the original copy of the charter signed by him, then ANC president Albert Luthuli and other alliance leaders in 1955.
According to the auctioneers, Bonhams, the document is expected to fetch R221,561 to R332,156.
The charter, regarded as the ANC's basic policy document, was adopted at Kliptown, south of Johannesburg, by organisations such as the SA National Indian Congress and the Congress of Democrats.
"Cosatu believes that this sale should be suspended to allow for a national debate on the status of this ... part of our heritage. [We] agree with the Heritage Resources Agency that it is an item of outstanding national importance," said Cosatu's Patrick Craven.
He said the charter should be donated to the ANC, Cosatu or a national museum.
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