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Africa Solidarity~ ---•·· no. 4 sprang.. '79 2S¢ SOUTHERN AFRICA UPDATE

Introduction 02142. Or call us at: (617) 876-7529. We welcome all "We have had problems comments, articles, reports, with our Africa policy," and complaints. Andrew Young told a U.S. This update is going to be audience recently. You can a feature of Southern Africa certainly see his point. Solidarity, reviewing events U.S. foreign policy in in South Africa, Zimbabwe, southern Africa has been as and in the solidarity move­ succesful as it was in Iran. ment in the ~.S. The update A large war in Zimbabwe will also offer our political (Rhodesia), the decline of perspective on these events. the U.S.'s influence abroad in general, and the growth of a solidarity movement in this country are just some of the "problems" for makers of U.S. foreign policy in regards to southern Africa. All of this is, of course, exciting for activists in this country. This issue of Southern Africa Solidarity is addressed to these acti­ vists, and people interest­ ed in the struggle for freedom in southern Africa. Included in this issue is a description of fighting in Zimbabwe, an article on GM's role in South Africa (and whether it plays a progressive role), reports from regional organizations, and more. This newsletter is produced by members of the International Socialist Or­ ganization. Subscription rates are $1 for 4 issues. Write to us c/o Boston ISO, P.O. Box 14, Kendall Sq. Station, Cambridge, Ma. 2 Zimbabwe journalist in Zimbabwe who for three months visited The war in Zimbabwe con­ the liberated areas, tinues to escalate. Racist missionaries have been hysteria about the freedom "pouring aid into the fighters has become more liberated areas". He prominent in the western said that the "rank and press. The guerrillas, who file of missionaries" have the support of the are "absolutely dedicated" majority of black people in to the struggle of the Zimbabwe, are being labeled freedom fighters. "terrorists". To back up Dissolutioned whites con­ this claim, there is contin­ tinue to leave the country uous reportage of incidents ~t a rate of J,OO per month. where black guerrillas have In an attempt to beefen up allegedly massacred white their beleaguered forces, missionaries. the Smith Regime have raised "The missionaries help the age limit for the draft, us. They give us medicine and have made an attemt to and clothes. Why should enlist more blacks into the we kill them? .. These army. The response from massacres are carried out blacks has not been alto­ by Smith and the selous gether positive. In the scouts to discredit us first week, only JOO out and turn whites against of 1544 blacks registered us," relates Josiah Magama for the draft that were Tongogara, Zanu Defense required to. 100's of Secretary. youths have been brought to Large portions of the court for demonstrating countryside are now con­ against the induction. trolled by ZANU (and, to Unrelentless air attacks a certain extent, ZAPU). on guerrilla bases in Angola According to Justin and Zambia continue (in "re­ Nyoka, a well known black taliation" to guerrilla attacks against the military), parallel with attempts by Smith "Without them (whites) to appease his opp­ nents. Smith is doing Rhodesia -ust becomes a a tight-rope act; re­ jungle, wi1 h chaos, the taining support from the white minority, same as any country around fighting off the us." Jan Smith, 3/4/ 79 guerrillas, and giv­ ing small concessions to the black middle- class. ·On February 28th Smith held an all-white referendum (which was basically a vote­ of confidence for Smith's policies) in which whites were asked to dissolve the present cabinet in favor of one that would include more blacks. They did this. In April, elections are planned ("one man one vote") that will give blacks an limited control over the country. The freedom fighters are aware that the elections are a sham. They have vowed to disrupt them. They know that politically and eco­ Ndabangingi Sithole nomically, whites will remain the controlling interest. Meanwhile, the black and centre. Lonrho is the collaborators continue to most notorious example - sell out. Foreign in­ Tiny Rowlands has long­ terests are buying up black standing links with Joshua politicians left, right Nkomo, and was instrumen­ tal in arranging the meet­ ing between Smith and Kaunda last December and between Smith, Kaunda, and Nkomo in August. The huge South African multinational Anglo-Ameri­ can is also generous with its hand-outs, and it is rumored that Sithole is recieving money from the South African Bureau of State Security. Sithole and Muzorewa are also receiving help in the training of their own private armies- repor­ tedly from Amin of Uganda and Gadaffy of Libya respectively! Bishop Abel Muzorewa 4 South Africa Squatters in homes on the Cape continue to defend their One important event in homes from bulldozers. South Africa is the trial of The new Prime Minister, the "Soweto 11"; 11 black Botha, is having to contend militants who took part in with a slipping international the Soweto uprising two years prestige. Investments in ago are now on trial for South Africa from abroad are "sedition and terrorism." All increasingly of a short-term eleven are members of the nature. The scandal of the banned Soweto Students Department of Information's Representative Council, or use of millions of Rand to SSRC. buy favorable press abroad If convicted, the activists is proving embarrasing to face a certain death sen­ the new Prime Minister. tence. The South African Recently, the U.S. press regime is trying to say that has mentioned the strikes in these militants were the "ring the mines on the part of leaders" of the uprising. white workers demanding an The trial is, of course, a end to the promotion of black sham. The defendants are all workers, meager as those black, and the jury is all promotions are. There is a white. The prosecution has contradiction in the political so far relied on tortured setup of apartheid between witnesses to "prove" that the uprising was the pro­ duct of "intimidation by pamphleteering." The trial began way back in September, but may well go on into 1980. The trial is only one of more than 60 political trials being conducted in South Africa at the present time. Another aspect of the difficulty that Botha and the entire apartheid aparatus is having in maintaining white rule is the continued unrest of ~~--~ blacks. Two attempts at elections, for instance, in Soweto, only drew 6% of the voters. s the Africaaner support for Africa, the ANC, PAC, and racist Christian Nationalism, the Black Consciousness and the multinational com­ Movement (which includes panies thirst for profits, the Black People's Conven­ pure and simple. tion, the South Africarr • The Iranian revolution, Student's Organization, and finally, has threatened the Soweto Student's Repre­ South Africa's (and there­ sentitive Council). We use fore Zimbabwe's) supply of the blanket slogan so we don't oil. Iran provided over 80% have to carry block long of South Africa's oil needs. banners to get our point The South African economy across. is, of cot:_rse, highly indus­ Our unconditional support trialized, and therefore does not mean that we are dependent on a regular flow are uncritical of their stra~ of oil. tegy and politics. The Pa­ The Iranian Government triotic Front and SWAPO are is, however, selling oil to essentially peasant armies the West, and it seems led by intellectuals. They likely that some of this have contacts in the small oil will find its way to workjng classes of their South Africa, who then sells countries, but the focus of some of it to Zimbabwe. their organization is not the working class. The ANC has long and deep ties to the Solidarity Movement South African Communist Party. The PAC looks to China. They It is the perspective of both now believe in a Southern Africa Solidarity strategy of urban guerilla that we give unconditional warfare. All of these groups support for all the genuine share a conception of national liberation movements in development on the Russian southern Africa. We reject or Chinese model- the poli­ the forces that compromise tics of Mao or Stalin. with the white regimes­ The Black Consciousness Sithole, Muzorewa, Chirau in movement is fundamentally Zimbabwe, the Democratic different. It represents a Turnhalle Alliance in Namibia, break with the conservative and Buthelezi, Leon and traditions of the ANC and Chinsamy in South Africa. We PAC. It is a mass movement follow the people of southern of students centered in the Africa in recognizing as black working class town­ legitimate liberation move­ ships of Soweto. Its politics ments the Patriotic Front in are undeveloped, but it is Zimbabwe (ZANU & ZAPU), in clear on one point - black Namibia, SWAPO and in South power. 6 Future Updates, and future that South Africa's uran­ issues of this newsletter in ium reserves are 1/3 greater general will go into more than the entire rest of the detail on these points. The west. last issue discussed the What this has ment is in­ vital role that black workers creased U.S. support for will play in future develop­ apartheid. It is this depen­ ments. The important point dence that underlies U.S. is, however, that all of these support for apartheid, des­ organizations are fighting to pite Carter's Human Rights, achieve self-determination or Andrew Young's call for in southern Africa. That is, black majority rule. It is they aim to destroy the clear, therefore, that it current white minority re­ will be the black masses of gimes and create a society southern Africa that will be in which Africans decide the their own liberators. Thus course of their future. the importance of supporting Events in southern Africa the liberation movements in will, we feel, have a tremen­ those countries. dous impact abroad. The econo­ The conclusion of this my of the U.S. is probably arguement is that we cannot more dependent on South Africa limit ourselves to the demand than they are on our econo­ "U.S. Out of South Africa." my. The key to this depen- As we wrote in ~outhern -dence is minerals. A recent Africa Solidarity #2,"the. Business Week article growth of the movement can_ (1/29/79) stated that it was raise important questions· "no exaggeration" to call about the role of U.S. South Africa the "Saudi imperialism, the importance Arabia'; of the "Persian of national liberation Gulf of minerals" of south­ struggles, and the nature of ern Africa. It went to racism at home and abroad. quote a National Research In these ways the movement Council report which stated can challenge Andrew Young, that the "U.S. long-term and the capitalist system vulerability in chrome is he represents." Given this greater than in petroleum." perspective, discussion of According to the U.S.Bureau the liberation movements is of Mines, Zimbabwe & South vital. Africa hold 96% of the recoverable chrome ore in the world (it has no sub­ stitute as an alloy in a by PAUL D'AMATO, wide range of steel produc­ KENT WORCESTER, BEN BLAKE tion). It is now estimated , ZlMBABWE VS. RHODESIA:

This year 300 free­ tied one to the other by rope. With rain pouring down dom lighters wi 11 heavily we propelled the die of starvation in canoe precariously to an island about 2/J the way the camps in Nambia ... across. At this point there was 70 yards of rapids A Huge Gulf Separates The separating us from the bank. "respectable" and suited African leaders who parley '''The Commander fire.d a on the conference tables of specially treated bazooka London and Geneva and those shell across the water, tied who are fighting and dying to a long rope with a metal in the villages, towns) and hook on the end. The first countryside of Zimbabwe. They time they pulled the rope in brave the searing heat of the the hook failed to attach it­ lowlands and the bitter cold self to anything on the bank. of the mountain plains. They The second time he succeeded. bridge gorges, ford rivers, The roar of the river drowned and cross rapids. out the sound of the bazooka. "By the time we were in the On the barren lands unto river the rope was streched which the African people have out taut like the string of been herded, the fighters a drawn bow. We hung on des­ survive for months without perately, shifting hands al­ returning to base. The history ong the rope as they we were of the black struggle, both haning from the branch of a now and earlier, may never tree. Each man was loaded fully be known. The following with a sub-machine gun, a is a personal account of a carbine, seven hundred rounds freedom fighter in a ZAPU of ammunition, two gre­ platoon. It is reprinted from nades, one land mine, and a Socialist Review, P.O.Box 82, kitbag with civilian clothes, London, E2, England. We feel some food and boots. it gives an insight into "After crossing the river, what the real situation is we rested. At sunset we began now, in Zimbabwe, fighting a 250 mile jou~ney to Matopos, for liberation. the Tribal Trust Land near Bulawayo. We didn't take the "Crossing the Zambezi was shortest route, directly south, nearly fatal for the entire because we wanted to avoid platoon. The 10 men were all the Wankie Game Researve. That area is not adequately mapped 8 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WAR. and is totally unhabited. opportunity for an ambush! "Water was a great prob­ The soldiers were passing· lem and soldiers can waste by like sitting ducks! days wandering about and get­ "The commander shouted ting lost in search of water the order to fire. The column holes. The security foraes was so exposed most were have a habit of surronding killed in the first twenty the good water holes, and seconds as 7 AK 47s emtied trapping the guerillas when their magazines at the rate they came for drink. of 600 rounds per minute. "For several days the pla­ "The helicopter swooped toon stayed in the hills, low and dropped several living off the berries of grenades onto our position. roots, and what remained of But the cover was so sound their supply of glucose that no orte was injured. By tablets and vitamin pills. firing at the helicopter we Then we decided to risk forced it to move away un­ sending off a team of two til it was out of range. me n to seek supplies. John "The platoon withdrew Sibali was shot in the quickly under the thick stomach and soon died after­ trees. We hadn't covered wards, as the team was more than a few hundred captured by the security yards when a Vampire jet forces. Edison Maleme was swooped into the valley and injured and tortured until bombed our original position. he promised that he would The platoon finally reached lead the security men to Botswana 3 months after where we were hiding. crossing the Zambezi. The "As the column of Rho­ mission had been useless. desian soldiers advanced We had entered Rhodesia at down the steep slopes of one end and come out the other, the hills a helicopter be­ travelling 450 miles on foot. gan patrolling the valley. "Once over the border we But we were too far.· into the changed into civilian clothes depths of the valley to be and burried our weapons. We seen from the air. The column cought a bus into Francis came within two hundr·ed town. Here we surrendered to yards of our hidout. the authroities who threw us "Because of his white straight into prison. It took shirt, Edison stood clearly five months for the Botswana in front. He was marching the Government and the ZAPU lead­ security foces straight past ers in Lusaka to arrange for us - in order to give us the our transfer" 9 GM & APARTHEI.D by.BEN BLAKE l

There is mounting evidence Results, however, have b~en that General Motor's $220 less than spectacular as million operations in South shown by data released by the Africa have consistantly rein­ company itself. In 1976, for forced that country's policy example, black South African of general racial discrimina­ workers at G.M. earned an tion: apartheid. average wage of $224 a month. G.M. claims that it "does Whites averaged $595 a month, not endorse" apartheid and over 2} times the average that it "will remain in South b.lack wage. Only three Afri­ Africa and will continue to cans were salaried emplo­ be in the forefront of yees out of a total of 1300. progressive change." When questioned before a The cornerstone of G.M. 's U.S. seate subcommittee "progressive" stance in South about these inequalities, Africa is a set of principles A.A.Cunningham, G.M. 's Vice formulated by the Reverend Leon Sullivan (who sits on G.M. 's board of directors) and endorsed by 103 U.S. corporations with opera­ tions in South Africa, and by the regime itself. Sullivan originally advo­ cated a complete pullout of South Africa, but by 1975 he had changed his mind and in 1977 he authored a code for U.S. corporations in South Africa which includes a call for "Nonsegregation of races in all eating, comfort, and work facilities," equal and fair employment practices, equal pay for comparable work, and support for unionization efforts by "non-whites." The "Sullivan principles" basically represent what G.M. claims its policies have been since at least 1972. IO last year a $4.5 million President for Overseas Opera­ program to "desegregate" some tions argued that South Afri­ of its facilities in South can blacks were genetically Africa. inferior, "you have to under­ One G.M. executive in De~roit stand, Mr. Chairman, .that explained to Fortune maga- these employees have only zine that this was aimed at recently entered tha work "lessening the insult" of force (only JO years ago!) apartheid. and that the white employ­ G.M. 's repeated violation ees have been there heredi­ of its code shows that the tarily and have been progres­ idea of reforming apartheid sing up through the organi­ at a "step at a time" is a zing." complete fraud. In line with G.M. 's racist The black liberation move­ policies in South Africa is ment in South Africa reali­ its opposition to black zed this long ago and has workers being in unions. advocated a complete boycott of the apartheid regime since The Fraud of Liberal Profits the 1950's. Today, every major black Last summer, 278 blacks South African political signed papers to have union organization calls for the dues deducted from their pay. cutting of all ties the U.S. Most of the workers were has with apartheid. In "A subsequently intimidated Letter to the Workers of into withdrawing their re­ America" written in 1971, quest. Mark W. Shape, General G.M. South Africa person­ Secretary of the banned nel director, Rodney G. South African Congress of Ironside, explained the Trade Unions explained the companies opposition to the role that anti-apartheid dues deduction in these activity can play in words: "There are 114 ways bringing about an end to "a black can be relieved of apartheid. "his money and G.M. is not "The American workers going to be one of them." can, through direct action One example of what this against American companies program involves was the investing in South Africa, replacement of "Non Whites participate directly in the only" and "Whites Only" destruction of a socio-poli­ restroom signs with color tical system that is funda­ coded signs - blue for whites mentally and essentially and orange for blacks. racist, brutal and immoral Under continuing pressure, and inimical to every decent G.M. announced on August JOth and human value." 11 REPORTS FROM AROUND

to the protest against the NORTHEAST racist and sexist policies of the University. The Right now, a number of students were demanding campuses are preparing some divestment, as well. sort of activity around the In Boston, confusion ruled week of actions approved at when two meetings were held the NorthEast Coalition For on the same day - meetings The Liberation of Southern of the same group! What Africa conference at NYU in developed in the course of November. This week is from the day was a manouver on April 4 - 11th. the part of the Young Social­ There has been a wave of ist Alliance to have Boston tuition hikes at a number NECLSA hold a "broad-based" of campuses, which obviously rally that would be pulled takes away people's energy together in a couple of weeks! from southern Africa work, Students from Harvard, Boston and it seems that the energy University, Boston College, level is lower generally than UMass-Boston, and Brandies it was this time last year. all supported the counter At Hampshire College, how­ proposal, already in the ever, students succesfully works, of a Liberation got their Board of Trustees Disco. It was felt the later to sign a pledge to not was less ambitious. Also, reinvest in stock in com­ money raised at the disco panies doing business in could go to ZANU in Zimbabwe. apartheid, after 300 students In Philadelphia, a Comm. protested the College's for Divestment formed at the decision to reinvest in GM, University of Pennsylvania SMC, and RAND stock. early this semester. The The demonstration took University has over $29 place a short while ago - million worth of holdings 3/9/79, and it is thought in South Africa. The Comm. that this success will help was also host to a Deleware students at other colleges Valley S.A. Conference, in in the area, which includes February. Eight groups parti­ Smith & Amherst, both of which cipated in the conference, have a lot of ties to southern which attracted over 140 Africa. people. Planned is a demon­ On March 9th, Dartmouth stration at Provident Bank branches during the week of College was closed down due XZ actions. THE U.S.A. (well, nearly!)

The People's Front for the in companies doing business~ Liberation of Southern Africa in apartheid, so perhaps is sponsoring a day-long divestment is rash. statewide conference on racism at home and abroad during the MIDWEST week of actions. A large number of campuses In terms of the national are planning to participate week of actions, over 15 in the arm-band day April campuses in eight states 11th. plan demonstrations and/or Earlier this month (March), educationals during the the President of Harvard, week. Advercised here is Derek Bok told the press that an excellent pamphlet put taking investments out of Jut by the tF=====~======;I Bloomington Southern A­ Alriean Liberation a Divestment frica Comm. , just in time New! Only 2Sc, lrom the for the week of actions. Bloomington S.A. Committee, The Mid­ P. 0. Box, Bloomington, IN. 4'7401 west Coali­ tion for the ~======~ Liberation of any companies, for any reason, Southern Africa is sponsoring i.e.South Africa, Infant Baby a demonstration in down- Bottle deaths, etc., is town Chicago April 7th, at "limiting free speech!"Funny 12.00am. how those who would quickest The main slogans are shut us up are the loudest going to be: Victory to the Freedom Fighters, defen~ers of free speech! The Board of Trustees at and U.S. Out of Southern Tufts, dealing with the issue Africa Now! . for the first time, told The next meeting of students that they, too, the coalition is April 28th, were against apartheid, but 10.30am, at the Univer- city of Ill., Chicago. For considered the Sullivan more details about the coali­ Principles adaquate. Tufts tion, write to P.O.Box A3423 own $6 million worth of stock Chicago, Ill. 60690. During the week of - actions, the Indiana South­ week of actions, April ern Africa Coalition fourth to eleventh. will conduct a statewide clothing drive. On April 4rth, different campus groups will picket coin shops that WEST COAST sell the Krugerrand gold coin. Students at the University At the Un~versity of of California, Berkeley, have Chicago, the 27th of February planned a rally on April 9th, saw the biggest anti-apar­ at the school. theid activity in the Mid­ The Berkeley coalition, west, and the largest poli­ Students for Economic and tical event in the history Racial Justica, or SERJ, of the University. More than split only last January, eight hundred people attended so now there are two a debate between the Action different groups, with the Committee on S.A., and the same name. President of the University, One part of the group Hanna Gray. The U of C has over $74 million in stock in compan­ ies doing business in South Africa. The trustees have repeatedly refused to talk to the Committee. Not surpris­ ingly, 24 of the trustees hold directorships in corpora­ tions involved in southern Africa. The debate was an over­ wealming success for the is spending their time Action Committee, and the encouraging support for debate won the group many an upcoming referendum in new supporters. The school the city of Berkeley. The newspaper's editorial after rest of SERJ is picketing the debate was entitled: banks who loan mon.ey to "Do You Think We're Stupid?" South Africa, are showing Ten days after the debate, educational movies in more than 100 students took dorms, and are fighting part in a torch lit march to against cutbacks in ethnic Hanna Gray's house. studies. The upsurge of activity at The split seems to have U of C has been a big boost seriously weakened both for the Mid-west coalition, efforts, and it is unclear and its plans for the 1 what will happen after the 4 referendum is over. Ammunition for the revolution...

ALEX CAWNICOS AND JOHN ROGIERSI

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