MAY ISSUE 1982
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CONTENTS SEND YOUR ORDERS NOW TO SECHABA PUBLICATIONS P.O. Box 38.28 Panton StrMt. London N1 9PR EDITORIAL: Fight U.S. Imperialism 1 □ ALL ORDERS OF TEN OR MORE COPIES - □ □ U.S. DECLARES WAR: 50% DISCOUNT □ 2 KINDLY INCLUDE A DONATION WITH YOUR □ On ANC and SWAPO ORDER IF P O SSIBLE □ SA M PLE COPIES OF SECHABA A VAILA BLE ON □ LETTER TO THE EDITOR: REQUEST IF ACCOMPANIED BY A POSTAL ORDER □ The basis for revolutionary unity 9 (OR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WITH STAMPS) □ TO DEFRAY POSTAL COSTS □ ITALY PLEDGES SOLIDARITY 11 □ □ A N N U A L S U B S C R IP T IO N S □ WALTER SISULU: U SA and C AN AD A (airmail only) *12.00 □ 70th Birthday 19 ELSEWHERE £ 6,00 O SINGLE COPIES □ SOUTHERN AFRICA: U SA and C AN AD A (airmail only) * 3.00 □ The Time to Choose 23 ELSEWHERE £ 0.50 g □ □ BOOK REVIEW 29 LISTEN TO □ a RADIO FREEDOM □ STOP PRESS 31 □ VOICE OF THE AFRICAN NATIONAL □ CONGRESS AND UMKHONTO WE □ SIZWE □ □ o RADIO MADAGASCAR □ shortwave 49m band, 6135 KHz — 8-9 pm daily □ □ RADIO LUSAKA □ ihortwava 41 m band, 7.3MgHz - 8,30 to 9am daily □ □ □ RADIO LUANDA □ shortwave, 40 Ef 30 m bands; □ medium wave 27,6 m band — 7,30 pm daily 3 □ R A D IO T A N Z A N IA □ shortwave 19 m band, 15.435 Khz 8.15 pm -Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 31 m band -6.15 am Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday EDITORIAL: FIGHT U.S. IMPERIALISM
The US Assistant Secretary o f State for of terrorist regimes throughout the world. African Affairs, Chester Crocker has This Administration, which has condemned what he calls “terrorist •elf-righteously proclaimed its mission to be activities” and other “violent efforts” by the fight against international terrorism, SWAPO and ANC. Testifying before the spends huge sums of dollars to prop up US Senate Sub-Committee on Security fascist dictatorships such as those in El and Terrorism on March 22,1982, he'said Salvador to continue with their genoddal that these two organisations receive 90% policies. It is also the same .Administration of their military aid and 60% o f their overall which supports the Pretoria racists not aid from the Soviet Union. only to conduct a reign of terror against the The derogatory reference by Dr Crocker majority of the people in our country, to the just struggle tor national but also to carry these acts of terror into independence waged by the national libera the neighbouring states with complete tion movements as ‘terrorism’ - is but a disregard for life and property. feeble attempt by the Reagan Administra Neither the ANC nor the Soviet Union tion at concealing its role as the mainstay made any secret about the selfless support ) -. advances by throwing it* f|ill weight behind that the Soviet Union,, thV. Socialist Community and. th* progre*ive force* the racbt Pretoria regime. ; ; Fearing the destruction o f Ua fwnghold thfr-world b r ' w . p » N toJ 5 J ! ! 2 £ in Africa toy the ©eration'forces led bytoe fighting against oppression, exploitation ANC and SWAPO, imperialism now * £ * to And a pretext tor it* aggreesion in toe “ 4« obM». «"»■> ngtoa. However this tone'to* exaisefor this “revelation’ o f Soviet asaistance to the intervention 6s not Cub. ot W but the Soviet Union tor ita asaUtance to UbF^°them^p t e ot^outh the Uberation movements. lt b a w r g manoeuvres of the R e a g a n A lt e r a t io n that • the strategy of ^international in Central' America . are instructive, us imperialism. In particular toe United States, Imperialism, hrring M ed to its niachinatioM i* to suppress the liberation, movements to subdue the people of Cuba and to reverse In South Africa and Namibia, and to-use their revolutionary gains, wu^ the racist South African .regime to attack with yet another humiliating defeat with the front line states tor their assistance the trtunph of the struggle o f the people to our cause. of Nicaragua, Added to these defeats the The ANC therefore calls on progressive US - Administration is now confronted mankind tb- condemn these , dirty with the increasing tepipo of popular manoeuvres by the United States and struggles, namely in El Salvador and other give all possible support to toe national countries In the region. In response to these Uberation movements and to toe front ’ developments the US Administration has line,states in. our subcontinent. For our adopted a desperate and aggressive stance nart we In the ANC shall not rest until towards Cuba and Nicaragua. Vre destroy to* apartheid monster and. create a South Africa that will stand ' similarly, In Southern Africa, Imperialism peace, democracy and social progress. which has suffered great losses as a rwuitof the victories o f the revolutionary stru^es AMANDLA! MATLA! Alfred Nto, Secrttary General waged in the region, seeks to reverse these U.S. DECLAKtb w a r ON ANC AND SWAPO
It is an open secret, indeed a known fact, Denton Commission that the US does not only collaborate with In March something very sinister took r a cist South Afrifca, it actually coordinates racist South Africa’s plans against the place in the US namely the hearings on ANC and SWAPO organised by a sub people of Africa. Up to now little has been committee of the US Senate on Sentry known - at least outside Our «nks and Terrorism. The Chairman of tbs sub- that the US has declared war on us, the liberation movement* of Southern Africa, committee is no other ton Senator it b now taking measures to confront us Jeremiah Denton, a man who in the mid 60’s, an America which still nhvsically. It is true that the Reagan regime largely believed in the “ Vietnam, wai*. has always confronted us at least morally He spent seven years and seven months • filin g ua “international terrorists and In -North Vietnam as a P ^ “*r °f attempting to , view our struggle In the after being shot down over North Vietnam context of cold war, “IntematlonaUsmg’ and captured on July 18,1965. our struggle. Now they openly collaborate The hearings of this subcommittee with, the racist regime of Pretoria In this bring beck memories of th e U N -American dirty game. t
Activities Committee headed by Joe McCarthy.
u d hit South African Trip
Joel Lisker is the Chief Committee aide of Senator Denton. He together with Bert Milling visited South Africa and Namibia on January 11-19, 1982 to investigate the Soviet, East German (the name they uae for the German Democratic Republic) and Cuban involvement and/or control in the ANC and SWAPO. It was not the first time that Ltsker went to South Africa. Formerly with the Registra tion Unit at Justice which oversees the registration of Foreign Agents, Lisker travelled to South Africa during the Muldergate Scandal to investigate the American aspect and angle to the scandaL The one case that did come out of this was refused to adopt Marxism and abandon the Me Goff case. Also investigated was Christianity; and was intented in inspect Donald De Kieffar, the Foreign Agent ing “captured material” from numerous representing the South African Information South African raids into Angola Office, who is now the Chief Counsel for (including the Kasslnga massacre). the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The delegation, as we said before, received There are some shocking revelations a briefing by the South African Intelligence about this visit: the trip was coordinated while there, and in return they briefed the with the State Department; the delegation US State Department on their return. briefed the US embassy officials in South Africa upon their arrival and were debriefed Enter Chester Crocker at the State Department upon their return. They also had the cooperation of the racist The hearing started on March 22 in the South African Government on their trip. US. In his opening statement Senator Prior to leaving the US, Lisker sent a Denton spelt but the mandate of his sub “ shopping list” to the South African committee: officials indicating the people they wished to “Today, we commence a series of five meet with, the places they wished to visit hearings on the role of the Soviet Union, and the information they hoped to have through its puppets in Cuba and East access to. All in all they interviewed over Germany, in fomenting and supporting 20 people while there, mostly former ANC terrorism in Southern Africa... and SWAPO1 members. These people had ' “ ._ these three countries have been left the organisations for various reasons described repeatedly as actively and success including anest in South Africa, voluntary fully trying, under the overall control of surrender and dissatisfaction with the the Politburo in Moscow, to infiltrate and organisations. All this did not matter to manipulate so-called national liberation Lisker - he was not concerned why they movements. We have heard repeated left the organisations he- was interested In: references to the Soviet Union’s activities what they did within' the ANC and in Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, South SWAPO; what type of training they Yemen, and elsewhere in the world „ received and where; what type of educa there is a strong case to be made that tion they received and where, how many African Blacks, as well as whites, will wffer trips they made to the Soviet Union and if communist movements expand or triumph the German Democratic Republic. Lisker In that region”. was siso keen to hear reports of torture . Senator Denton went on to say: in the Soviet Union, on members who . “The purpose of these hearings is not to debate the appropriate U.S. policy toward* •He told the subcommittee that: Southern Africa. Nor it it out purpose to - “The ten nations of Southed Africa analyze South African domestic policies-. comprise an area of great mineral wealth, "What we aeek to determine, through including resources critical to western the testimony of a number of witnesses, strategic interests. Angola, South Africa, is the extent to which the USSR has success Mozambique and the territory of Namibia fully penetrated, and in Urge measure are all littoral states on the strategic Cape taken over, the direction of two organisa aea route, a lifeline of western commerce. tions in Southern Africa: the African US two-way trade with the countries of National .Congress and the South West Southern Africa mounted in 1980 to v 7.2 African People’s Organisation. I hasten to billion and US direct investment in the add that it is not my view that the entire region is estimated at $ 2.3 billion.” membership of these organisations is > He speculated: communist. History demonstrates, however, “We estimate that SWAPO receives some that communist parties do not need 100% ninety percent of its military support and membership in order to operate ... some sixty of its overall support from “I do not make this charge lightly or communist forces... without evidence. Indeed, the South African “ The ANC, which seeks to replace the Communist Party itself, the oldest present government in power in South Communist Party on the African continent Africa by violent as well as other means, (founded in 1921), has consistently made receives comparable percentages of its its position clear with regard to the relation military and other support from communist ship of “national liberation movements to and other sources” . And then he summarised the US policy the Soviet bloc...” on Southern Africa: ' And then he revealed that: “The sub-committee staff has devoted “We categorically condemn all terrorist considerable effort to obtain first hand and other violent acts that either of these evidence of the involvement of the Soviet* organisations take to try to bring about and their proxies in directing the so-called change in Namibia and South Africa. Our ‘national liberation’ organisations operating policy in relation to both seeks to channel the impetus toward change-into peaceful in Southern Africa. As Chairman of the sub fhlinnets- We seek in general in pursuing committee. I also want to acknowledge the our objectives In Southern Africa to able assistance of the Department of State strenghten and make more viable the and the United States embassy in Pretoria. possibilities of peaceful change. In so doing, We recognise that the sub-committee s we seek to obviate the necessity for investigators would not have been able to terrorism that some parties involved in produce the body o f evidence to be developments in the regioii choose to presented in these hearings without the cooperation of the South African perceive.” On Namibia he had this to say: government.” Chester Crocker, Assistant Secretary of “In Namibia, we have been working State for African Affairs did not say very actively since last April to arrive at a negotiated settlement of the Namibia anything significantly different from Senator Denton except to add that: issue that would bring that territory to “Consideration of communist influence an internationally recognised independence in Southern Africa would also indude the based on UN Security Council Resolution question of relations of various communist 435. We are pursuing a carefully crafted, countries with the independent states of three-phase negotiating process, with the area, all of which consider themselves coordination at all stages with all of the to be non-aligned nations” . interested parties, including South Africa, He went on to detail “ western interests SWAPO and other 'Namibian political and US interests in particular” in the elements”. Southern African region. He said nothing And on South Africa: about African interests and the interests “ ...we are pursuing a careful policy of - of the oppressed Blacks in Southern Africa constructive engagement, encouraging the in particular. government of Prime Minister P.W. Botha V and other elements in South African society American intrigues to move away from apartheid toward a South Africa changed, modern and strong, We have quoted at length from these with bright prospects for stability and undiplomatic, indeed crude, speeches of development rooted in justice, free of the these leading American “experts on problems that now stand in the way of communism in Southern Africa” . They do doser US/South African relations. We give us an insight into the thinking in believe that a process of peaceful, evolu Washington about what they conceive tionary change promises a much better as the destiny of Southern Africa. What immediate and long term future for all strikes one is the lack of modesty and South Africans than the protracted, bloody humanity. Everything — including our terror and violence that is the alternative aspirations ' * has to be subordinated to for that nation.” US imperialist interest which dovetail The Implication of the Itakj with the tat«re*t* of the SWAPO and Mo*oow, we an t°ld, ls that » < In tfaia article wi shall not^dwil with SWAPO victory ta Namibia ™uld imply their speculationa about th# *xtontof communUt taflumct” ta our liberation hand over that country to Mmco» therefore the main aim ta Namibia movementa or the source of our aupport be to deprive the Eastern bloc of the In m y cm that is non* of thafr buataeaa. influence it exerts as the supplier of military We ahall deal with their attitude toward* hardware and training” . Th* tad*P«
Dear Comrade Editor, it transcend racial barriers? These questions are inevitable, and are just as vital as the Allow me, through your publication to voice question of Revolutionary Unity itself, my -opinions about a letter published in the because failure to take them into consider*- * January issue of SECHABA and the views tion when discussing the question of unity it propagates about some of the most will lead us into untold disasters. In fact, important questions related to the South unity achieved outside these questions will, African Revolution, both in theory and in a long run, deprive us of our hard won in practice. No serious revolutionary can be independence. indifferent to a discussion as important as Revolutionary unity cannot come of its the one raised by the author of the above- own. It cannot be called to order by this mentioned letter. This becomes imperative or that individual. It is a'long and difficult especially when his views on questions like process founded on the basis of a clear-cut the essence of revolutionary unity and the Revolutionary programme based on ouF type of change which our people are fighting common desires and championing our to realise appear to be confused and his people’s desires and objectives. standpoint, distorted. Revolutionary._Unity_is_unity in action.. The question o f Revolutionary Unity It is a phenomenon which cannot be other of all patriots and democrats in our country wise but must, of neccesity be conditional, has always occupied a central place in the conditional on the acceptance of clear agenda of the South African revolution. anti-racist, anti-colonial and anti-imperialist The 70 years of the existence of the African positions, and finally, conditional to the National Congress attest to this. From its acceptance of the Freedom Charter, a inception up to today, the African National document of the people of South Africa. Congress has been championing the cause of Because of the above-mentioned unity. Nowadays, \ when the enemy has considerations, the African ' National embarked on a very dangerous and vicious Congress has repeatedly refuted, and rightly campaign aimed at keeping us divided and so, attempts by some circles aimed at thus, it is hoped, rule over us with renewed forcing us into unity with such splinter impunity, the only effective counter-strategy groups like the so-called Pan-Africanist to frustrate these enemy stratagems is Congress of Azania (P.A.C.). By the way, through Unity in Action and at the same it is an historically recorded fact that one of time mobilising all democratic, anti-racist, the reasons that led to the breakaway from , anti-imperialist front for a People's South the African National Congress of the faction ’ Africa as envisaged by our revolutionary that later formed the P.A.C. was the fact document - - the Freedom Charter. that they rejected the Freedom Charter as Now an inevitable question arises — a Communist inspired document. By How are we to achieve this unity? Whit declaring this, the pioneers of the presently is the basis for Revolutionary Unity, are ailing P.A.C. supported enemy claims that there principles that are to guide us or Africans cannot think for themselves, and should we indulge in “unconditional unity” as a result, are incapable of realising or for (whatever that means)? Finally, should th»t matter, undertaking a revolutionary colour serve as a criterion Le., must we initiative. confine unity only among Blacks or must Reading through his letter, one is left with the Impression that oui anonymou* our planet for a better and happier writer Is «n advocate o f unconditional world to live In.” unity. A* a result, he accuaes covanSe Somewhere In his letter, our anonymous G J. of suffering from u old illness “known author write* “ We agree that the Freedom at aectarianism” and of upholding an Charter Is not a socialist blueprint and Its aim is to end national oppression.” This inverted version of McCathyism according was a response to comrade GJ.’s assertion' to which, he accuses, “only tho« who that the Freedom Charter demands “ total adhere to his opinion of the Soviet Union can he counted as part of the revolutionary economic emancipation.” The aim of the Freedom Charter is not only to end national struggle” . Shame, what a blasphemy, what a and above all, what a misuse of oppression because, In the words of^the concepts. I think that the author of the Strategy and Tactic* of the ANC, “ ... letter in question is to a very great extent, Our drive towards national emancipation out of step with present day developments. is therefore In a very real way bound up I would not be suprised to discover that he with economic emancipation- We have views the Soviet Union as “Just another suffered more than just national humilia imperialist power” as reaction would like tion. (emphasis mine) Elsewhere, it reads, us to believe, ready to pounce on our people “It is historically understandable that the as soon as we rid ourselves of radit doubly-oppressed and doubly-exploited colonialism, oppression and imperialist working constitutes a distinct and exploitation. In case this is your fear, reinforcing layer of our liberation and comrade author, it is neccesary that we put does not stand In conflict with the record straight because aU our national Interest*.” Therefore, the purpose of our struggle in the first phase 11 revolutionaries should see and understand n b that the Soviet Union and other countries i* the complete political and economic of the Socialist Community are the true emancipation of all our people and the and natural allies of all the fighting peoples. constitution of a society which accords ;it has no property stakes in the so-called with the basic provisions of our programme Third World countries. Perhaps -one should - the Freedom Charter.” (emphasis mine.) add that during our present epoch, this • The letter in question has many short dynamic epoch of transition from capitalism comings, but those that have been to socialism, an epoch characterised by highlighted are enough to gear his mind National Democratic and socialist towards a fruitful thinking exercise. It is revolutions, we cannot remain indifferent hoped that the points raised will serve as to the struggle between the two opposing a trailblazer leading out of the darkness forces — the forces for democracy, peace which he/she appears to be gropping in. and social progress headed by the Soviet It Is also hoped that in the spirit of the Union on the one hand, and the forces of Freedom Charter, he will uphold and imperialism, war and destruction headed by appreciate my right to “publish and the United. States on the other. distribute ideas that are not racist, filthy Consequently, one cannot be anti-Soviet and treasonable” , however unpalatable they -and be progressive at the same time. may become. I only hope that unlike GJ.’s, Historical examples attest to this-. Nowadays, mine will not be found, to borrow a term . one of the criterion of true internationalism “obnoxious". is one's attitude to the Soviet Union. MJC. Cadre Commenting on * this, in his January 8th' 1982 address, our President comrade Oliver Tambo stated categorically that: The mainstay of this world , revolutionary process are the socialist countries, fully committed to the cause of national liberation, the democratic forces in the capitalist camp, and the v national liberation movement. We too therefore, are part and parcel of this • revolutionary stream that is changing ITALY PLEDGES GREATER SOLIDARITY
The Second Italian National Conference of diplomatic missions hi Italy; representative* Solidarity with the People* of Southern of tile various UN agenda*; the Council Africa took place In Rome, at the "Wing for Namibia; the EEC; the European Parlia of Parliamentary Group*” of the Italian ment as well as high-ranking representatives parliament from the 26th-28th February of Italian political parti**, trade unions and last. government. The theme of the conference wu “Against Racism and Apartheid hi South 11» conference opened under the Africa and for tht independence of rfi«trm«TMhlp of the president of the Namibia” . ■ Regional Administration of Lazio and Hie appeal of this important conference, marked by a message of welcome by the like that of the first held in Reggie Emilia Mayor of Rome (Hon. Ugo Vetere). This In 1978, was signed by the was followed by the report of the Italian Secretaries-General of th» political parties National Coordinator — Guiseppe SoncinL which form the ‘constitutional arc' as well Then foHwed the keynote address by as the three trade union confederations. comrade Oliver Tambo — president of the The main objectives of the appeal and ANC. (See below) the conference are: - Among the most outstanding contribu 1) saving o f the live* and liberation of all tions were those of the Hon. Giulio the patriots detained in racist prisons of Andreotti . former Italian Prime Minister South Africa and their leaden Nelson and presently head o f the Foreign Relations Mandela and Herman Toivo Ja Tohro Commission o f the Italian parliament 2) the collection of money, food, medicines, who also chaired the final session of the clothes and implements for the dispatching conference; Tulia Cure tone -- M.P. and of the SECOND ITALIAN SHIP OF Director of the Italo — African Institute; SOLIDARITY to the African refugee* Hon. Lucians n»«t»nin» — Member of the oppressed by the apartheid regime. CC o f PDUP and member of both the 3) the formation of the National Associa Italian and European parliament; Hon. tion of Friendship and Cooperation Italy- Antonio Rubbi - - Secretary of the Central Southern Africa, to be launched on M ay Committee, responsible for International 25th in Livorno — the port from which Affairs of the PCI; Hon. Gallone of the the 2nd Ship of Solidarity will sail from DC; and a worker from Oto-Melara — the in October... arms Industry which has been sending The appeal states finally that the cause arms to South Africa. Representatives of the Peoples of Africa Is an of Italian political parties, trade unions integral part o f our cause for a better and other democratic forces also made world and for peace. important contributions. The Italian Participating at the conference were government was represented by the Hon. delegations of both ANC and SWAPO Roberto Costa — Under-Secretary for led by their respective Presidents — Oliver Foreign Affairs. Tambo and Sam Nujoma; Alberto Joaquim AH these personalities unreservedly re Chissano and Moo id Molapo, respectively iterated their condemnation of the Foreign Ministers of Mozambique and continued illegal occupation o f Namibia Lesotho; Kumbiiai Kan gal •- Minister of and racist South African aggression against Labour and Sotial Affairs of Zimbabwe; Angola as well as the continued colonisation Dennis Akumu — Secretary-General o f and repression of the oppressed black people OATUU; representatives of African of South Africa and Namibia. Two important event* took place in the and a reminder to the people of Europe Qeld of Italian solidarity: of the urgent need for their concrete and a) the signing of a preliminary protocol unconditional material support for our for a Pact of Friendship and Solidarity between the Provincial Administration At the end of the conference, the of Rome and SWAPO of Namibia; delegations of the liberation movements and b) the conferring of *honourary citizenship’ frontline states were received by the of the City of Rome to Nelson Mandela. Seoetari«*-General of the Italian Communist The formal signature of the Pact of Party and Italian Social Democratic Party Solidarity between . the Provincial — Enrico Berlinguer and Pietro Longo Administration of Rome and SWAPO of respectively as well as representatives of the Namibia is scheduled to take place on April Italian Socialist Party and Christian 19th 22nd anniversary of the foundation Democratic Party. of SWAPO. Angola is the venue for this On Saturday, 20th February, at 12.30 historic event. President Oliver Tambo of ANC and The Second Italian National Conference President Sam Nujoma o f SWAPO were of Solidarity with the Peoples of Southern received, in a private audience, by His Africa was a reconflrmation of the Holiness Pope John Paul 11 at the Vatican. commitment of the Italian people to the At the end of their stay in Italy the principles of freedom, justice, democracy delegations were received by the president and peace. of the Italian Republic • - H.E. Sandro TTiis was a dear indication that our Pertini, who reiterated in no uncertain just struggle for freedom, social progress terms, his and Italy’s abhorrence and and peace is appreciated and supported condemnation of apartheid and oppression by all freedom-loving forces the world over... and called for the immediate solution of The conference should serve as a source the Namibian problem and the right of the of inspiration to our struggling people South African people to self-determination.
^2 President O.R. Tambo gives the key-note address at the Opening Session Statement by Comrade O.R. Tambo, We salute, in particular, the political President of the ANC at the 2nd National Parties and the Trade Union federations Conference of Solidarity with the Peoples who convened this conference with a stirring of Southern Africa — Rome February appeal to the people of Italy, and we 26-28,1982. congratulate the National Committee of Solidarity on its successful organisation of Italy’s solidarity movement with the peoples the conference. of Southern Africa has a profound We wish to address special greetings to 'significance for us. the Municipality and people of Reggio The 1970 Rome conference in solidarity Emilia to whom the ANC is bound by a with FREUMO, MPLA, and PAIGC wis -Pact of Solidarity. followed by the defeat of Portuguese We greet all the participants at this colonialism In 1974. conference in the name of the ANC and its The Reggio Emilia Conference of leaders, militants and allies, representing Solidarity in November 1978 preceded the democratic majority of South Africans. by only one year the collapse of the Ian We take this opportunity to convey to Smith settler regime in Rhodesia after the the Government and people of Italy our Lancaster House Agreement. deep appreciation of the generous and This Second National Conference of valuable material assistance brought by Solidarity with the peoples of Southern AMANDA, the famous “ Italian Ship of Africa in the struggle against racism, Solidarity.” Let there be another AMANDA. apartheid and colonialism will certainly be The theme of this conference under viewed with great apprehension and disquiet scores the nature of the conflict in South by the regime of South Africa and its Africa and Namibia. The struggle does not - imperialist allies and agents. For, if this involve only three parties - the S-A. regime solidarity conference carries the hidden on the one hand and on the other, the quality of its predecessors, then we do not people of Namibia and the majority in South have long to wait before yet another Africa. The struggle is that of the peoples strategic victory is announced — the of Southern Africa against colonialism, independence of Namibia under a SWAPO racism, apartheid and fascism. government. Our Common Determination Liberation o f Zimbabwe At no time has it been realistically possible Certainly, the march of events in Southern to perceive the aspirations of the people Africa since the Reggio Emilia conference of South Africa and Namibia as being points unmistakably to the demise of the separate or different from those of Africa old colonial order in Southern Africa. The and the rest of humanity. Our daily exper independence of Zimbabwe gave a powerful ience in the sub-continent demonstrates a impetus to the revolutionary process which unity of purpose expressed In our common is now rocking the foundations of apartheid- determination to rid the continent of the colonial, domination in Namibia and South criminal apartheid colonial system. The price > Africa. If the light at the end of the tunnel for the continued existence of the Pretoria is not visible to all, the problem is one of regime is being paid in the blood of the political short-sightedness. peoples of Southern Africa — South It is in this mood of confident Africans , Namibians, Angolans, Zambians, expectation and absolute conviction irr^the Mozambicans, Zimbabweans; in the blood certainty of victory for the fighting people of the people of Lesotho, Botswana and of Southern Africa that we greet the Swaziland — the blood of the peoples of participants at this conference, representing Africa. “the workers and peasants, the youth, The struggles of Southern Africa are the women, the regional and local govern international concerns in a dual sense. ments, organisations, associations and all Firstly, the system of apartheid is not a democratic institutions of the country”-- domestic creation, nor does it defend the entire Italian people and their South African domestic interests alone. Government. > This economy provides massively for investors and for cm i manufacturers and industrialised economy and infrastructure dealers from west European countries the of South Africa. The nine states of the United States and Japan. region are today struggling- to break this In to struggle for survival, the apartheid economic dependence, and the regime is system relies on the -support o f its powerful retaliating with economic obstruction and international allies. The overthrow of one of sabotage. No state in our region is safe from the most brutal systems of oppression In aggresrion. For as long as apartheid survives, the world la our responsibility, but it b no Independent African state is free. Africa also your responsibility. And our meeting herself remains captive. In its turn, the over here today is an erpression o f our common throw of apartheid wiQ .usher in an era determination to achieve that objective. of unprecedented reconstruction of these- Secondly, the struggle against apartheid African countries, under conditions of peace is an international responsibility because and security. — apartheid aa a system has gone far beyond, ' Racist aggression is not a sign of strength. itr borders In escalating aggression against Pretoria has a formidable, well-equipped the states of Southern Africa. The racist and highly mechanised military force. But army today occupies Namibia. Its tanks, In attacking neighbouring states it is heavy artillery, and flghterplanes - revealing its greatest weaknesses — its manufactured by European patent, supplied incapacity to destroy the armed liberation by European countries — have Invaded figHtnni who have become well entrenched the People’s Republic o f Angola, and amongst the people and to break the dose continue to occupy parts of that country. bonds between the liberation movements Where is the international outcry? Why is and our African allies. The heroic victories South Africa allowed to commit this flagrant scored by the growing mass support for breach of national sovereignty and Inter the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia national law with impunity? Why has the indrf* that country and the* resolute United States administration consistently determination of the Angolan people to vetoed efforts to impose sanctions against support the Namibian struggle provide thh rrimfaial regime? a dramatic example of the fascist regime’s . weakness and failure. Scandal of our Time ' r ." Our Increasing Strength It is one of the of our time that the states of the West and the Western Contact The chief features of the South African Group have raised the Pretoria regime, the situation today are on the one hand the aggressor, to the status of fellow mediator profound being experienced by the in the reeolution of the Namibian issue, oppressor regime and on the other hand, even while the racists are in illegal occupa the increasing strength, resilience, and tion of country and are violating the growing legitimacy of the armed liberation sovereignty of the People’s Republic of struggle in the eyes of our people. • Angola. ' The African National Congress diagnoses Angola is the victim of South Africa’s the South African system as In crisis. It is moet blatant aggression, but the racist army an organic crisis, one that cuts to the nature and its generals have active contingency Of the system. It is a crisis that could last plans for the' destabilization o f all the some time, but the duration does not lessen countries of Southern Africa. We Are Its severity. For this is a crisis of authority, witnessing the unfolding, of grave dangers: a of power, which the apartheid As the liberation strug£e reaches new system cannot resolve. It is the fact of this heights, the racist regime has extended to crisis, inter alia, which reinforces our firm the whole region the type of aggression belief in the certainty of victory. it first launched against Angola In 1975. Within its own ranks the regime has This Is blatant aggression, open war. abandoned the pretence of cabinet govern Pretoria’s strategy also leans heavily on ment. Since 1972 we have seen the economic destabilisation. In our region increasing militarisation of practically all of'the continent colonialism left a legacy aspects of government and the so-called 14 of countries locked into dependence on the State Security Council, comprising top Giuseppe Soncini presents the Report of the National Committee
ANC delegation to the Conference, front row military, police and intelligence personnel are without exception black! Hose sections has effectively displaced the cabinet as the of the population who previously battened primary decision-making body. All the on racial privilege now stand to lose and the decisive sectors of the economy contain masses of the oppressed who have been a strong military presence. , forced to bear the cost of the crisis have The economy faces a crisis of seen their burdens increased tenfold, unprecedented proportions, which while not The inability o£ the racist state to cope peculiar to South Africa, does have a with the upsurge of mass resistance is number of distinct features. It is evident in the sustained eruption of every characterised by galloping inflation, sharp conceivable form of struggle during this economic decline, seven dislocation and an last decade. Under the Inspiration and ever escalating rate of unemployment, leadership of the ANC our country has And, in our country, all the unemployed experienced a series of strikes, boycotts. student and youth rebellions in the schools not merely by its presence, by the actions and colleges, demonstrations in the citie* of Its . combat groups and its political and in the rural areas; peasant struggles, underground, but also by its policy and worker resistance, combined political strikes programmatic inspiration to other, related, by workers and by students; open defiance but independent, resistance. in the streets, and armed combat actions We wish here to white those heroic led by the guerrilla units of the armed wing fighters: workers and students; community of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe. leaders and representatives; religious leaders Organised resistance is being intensified and the resistance movement. We at all levels, and its forms have never been salute the generation of youth who faced so diverse. armoured and machine guns with stones, and with their bare hands. We salute Our People are not intimidated our industrial workers, who extend the * • » «Viiu they have learned on the job to During the last ten years our country has improvising evermore creative forms of witnessed a phenomenal growth of trade industrial resistance. Their strike movement unions, who have employed the strike is not limited to wage demands; it is a ' weapon with a sophistication and resilience struggle for the recognition of free, that has rendered the repressive apparatus independent trade unions, for the very right of the regime practically dlsfunctionaL to strike, but also for a new political order. In the industrial areas the black working -i««« has forged links of common action Armed struggle — Part of mass struggle with popular organisations: shop floor struggles are linked with consumer boycotts, The regime faces a future in which all these with community reinforcement of these forms of resistance, complemented protests. Hie unity of the black working by the planned actions of ANC combatants, /■*.«« is being consolidated. This phenomenal will spread. There Is one elementary truth growth o f trade union organisation and about the strength of our movement: It worker militancy takes place under is a popular movement, a struggle waged conditions of virtual state proscription of by the people on many fronts. The ANC the right to organise free independent does not now, nor will it ever, conceive of unions. Fascism drove underground, even the armed liberation struggle as separate smMhed the political movements of Europe, and apart from the mass struggles of the and especially of Italy, for several decades; people. Our armed struggle derives its our working -class and our people organise legitimacy from the popular struggles and resist under conditions of ceaseless waged by the people and is a continuation fascist proscription and persecution. of these very struggles employing military Our people are not intimidated. The means. The close integration of our armed African National Congress was declared combatants with the masses has enabled an illegal organisation in 1960. Inspite our people’s army to strike at the enemy of this the ANC has in the recent past with daring and precision. We are confident emerged as the undisputed voice of the that as the armed struggle is intensified it democratic majority of our people. It is will draw into Its wake the active participa once again in the streets, .in the meeting tion of ever growing numbers of our people. h»n« Our flag, our colours, our freedom Our masses have an inexaustible potential songs, our demands, our programme, are for struggle, but they struggle against fearful voiced everywhere; not to whispers or in odds. Our political prisoners, led by secret, but in public proclamations of the Mandela, are sealed off from the outside manes, in' their varied forms of resistance; world, some tor the rest of their natural by political leaders — not necessarily those lives; there is no remission tor political of the ANC itself but those who head prisoners. Our political prisoners are in the political protest in its own right, and who death cell, awaiting execution, for acts of support the ANC programme for the libera resistance against a system that permits no tion struggle and a new South Africa. lawful opposition. There have been political For, the African National Congress prisoners as young as 14 and 11 years old. m.infaimit its leadership o f the struggle Our political prisoners are subjected to 16 gruesome torture. Our political prisoners and company unions but free Independent b i n been found dead in their cells. This worker-controlled unions. - applies to prisoners and detainee* in South To the Indians and Coloured people it has offered a few poisoned crumbs in the Africa and Namibia. That ii why the . decision of the 'shape of “power sharing” In an attempt Municipality of Rome to proclaim Nelson to enroll new forces into the nnks oftts supporters from amongst the oppressed. Mandela a Citizen of thix great City of Rome b not only timely but is also a great act o f It has tried to win over strata of the black aoUdaxity with the people of Africa, an middle But this action of co-optation historic expression of support for all the hu failed; there is no strata of the African political prisoners and detainees held by population, with the exception of the small the South African regime, both South clique of Bantustan rulers, which has spoken African and Namibian, at a time when these up for the apartheid system. detainees are being tortured and even killed in the process, with the knowledge and It has tried to train black labour in • authority of the South African regime. industrial «fcill« and to promote an upper layer of black workers In the factories. The decision of the Municipality of But African workers want not only Rome will be conveyed to Nelson Mandela industrial skills, and a living wage, but also political rights in the country of their birth. in Robben Island. The latest of these crimes is the dastardly The regime’s cooptation exercise has case of Dr. Nefl Aggett, a young white not worked. The order of the day is not medical doctor, who devoted his life to cooptation by the regime but resistance! serving the people both as a medical It is clearly understood by the mass of our practitioner and as an organiser for the Food people that the racist regime cannot and and running Workers Union. Dr Aggett will not reform itself. We must not accept was murdered by the racist Security Police the rival i-laims of the conservative and because he sought justice for his country so-called reformist wing of the dominant men. His wife, who like himself was racist party on their face value. The split detained, and several other trade unionists, in the ranks of this criminal cabal is over black and white, have been moved from the question of how best to achieve their cells to prison psychiatric wards objectives they hold in common and is where they an now being held. The criminal occassioned by the bitter struggles of the ytinn of the racists in murdering this oppressed. youthful white patriot Is indicative of a The racist regime cannot be judged on rigniflcant current that is making itself ♦Ha h«i< of the rhetoric of self-seeking felt in South Africa today, the movement politicians and their foreign friends. It of numerous whites, especially the young, must be judged by the existence of nine away from support of apartheid and towards million Africans who have been forcefully the programme and policies of the ANC. deported from their homes in the urban and industrial. centres to resettlement Apartheid reforms are hollow camps in the Bantu stans; by the millions who are annually criminlalised because The racist regime has tried a number of of some minor infaction; by the thousands devices to unravel the crisis in which it is of Innocent babies who die each year before presently embroiled. Its tactics, presented they reached the age of fouM to the world as efforts at reforms, have Apartheid is not merely segregated sport, oscillated between brutal repression and separate Utilities for education, culture cosmetic superficial changes that have and recreation. It Is a brutal system of no effect on the substances of apartheid oppression, embedded in economic and racist domination. To the Insurgent exploitation and Institutionally entrenched working «•<»«« it ha* offered a system of by a monopoly over the political process legalised but state controlled union registra by a white minority. Apartheid is tion. For the most part black labour has neither dead nor dying. It will and must rejected these so-called concessions; our be put to death by the power of the working does not want corporate oppressed people. Collection Number: AK2117
DELMAS TREASON TRIAL 1985 - 1989
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