Southern Africa Week Special !
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NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SUPPORT PROJECT SASP P.O. BOX 50103 , Wash., D.C. 20004 vol. JO, No. 2 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• SOUTHERN AFRICA WEEK SPECIAL ! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• SASP, METRO COMMUNITY SOUTHERN AFRICA WEEK 1988 MARK 10 YEARS OF MAY 15-21 SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT The annual week-long com Africa, SASP decided that future ma ORGANIZI munity education and material aid terial aid and education programs TO COMBAT campaign sponsored by the Southern would have a regional focus while high A RTHEID'S TERR R Africa Support Project (SASP) had its lighting the struggle ofBlack South Af beginnings in June of 1978 when SASP ricans inside of South Africa. Thus, in organized several community infonna the Spring of 1984 the first in a continu tion activities to generate an awareness ing series of annual "Southern Africa of the fight for self detennination taking Week" campaigns was initiated. place in Zimbabwe. 10 YEAR MILESTONE In 1980 SASP organized "Zimbabwe Week", an effort through 1988 marks the tenth anniver which the D.C. community contributed sary of the Southern Africa Support Africa to the community, as well as 3,000 pounds of clothing and almost Project and its annual community cam facilitate the appeal for material aid. $10,000 in financial support for educa paign to raise material aid and public More recently Howard University's tion and medical supplies to help Zim awareness about those in Southern WHMM-TV, Channel 32, has helped babwean refugees in Mozambique and Africa who are struggling to bring an to educate the local communtiy about Angola. Zimbabwe continued to be the end to apartheid and create a better life the situation in southern Africa. The focus of SASP's annual material aid for themselves. Since 1978 SASP, with UniversityoftheDistrictofColumbia's and public education campaign through the support and participation of the Black Film Institute has made it pos the first year of independence for Zim Washington, D.C. metropolitan com sible for SASP to acquire and present babwe. 1981 marked the first of three munity, has raised more than $190,000 informative audio visual programs dur annual "Namibia Week" campaigns in cash, medical and educational sup ing each of its campaigns. Church, ' which focused on educating the com plies to help the men, women and chil community organizations, and labor munity about the illegal occupation of dren of Southern Africa. unions have encouraged their members Namibia by South Africa, as well as to join with SASP in its annual efforts. providing medical and educational All of these achievements And while we should gather great pride supplies to the people of Namibia. would never have been reached without and inspiration from this solidarity, the a broad range of support from the D.C. increased repression of the South Afri Recognizing the continuing metropolitan area community. In every can government during the last two campaign of economic destabilization campaign since 1978 radio stations years should encourage and inspire us and military terrorism being waged WHUR and WPFW have each contrib all to mark this tenth anniversary with a against the independent countries of the uted hours of air time to allow SASP to renewed commitment to solidarity, southern Africa region by South, bring vital infonnation about South freedom and justice. WHMM TO AIR REVEALING FILM ON MOZAMBIQUE Nowhere is the battle against white minority rule more stark than in Mozambique. And never has a film captured the horror of Mozambican life today as has "Mozam bique: The Struggle for Survival" by independent film makers Bob and Amy Coen. The film was shot on location in Mozambique and ta1ces its audience from the arrival of Portuguese colonists 400 years ago through the death of its charismatic leader Samora Machel, to the situation on the ground today. "Mozambique: The Struggle for Survival" features ordinary Mozambicans whose lives have been touched by the war against the rebels of the Mozambique Na tional Resistance better known as RENAMO or the MNR. Mozambiques new president, Joaquim Chissano, explains his government's attitutde toward South Africa A Victim of MNR Te"or. and ther rebels. The film chronicles the development of the MNR, a sabotage those trade routes the region remains locked guerilla movement founded by the white governmnet in into South Africa's economy and vulnerable to pres neighboring Rhodesia nearly 20 yeras ago. For the first sure from Pretoria. Whoever controls Mozambique, time ever on camera, the creator of MNR, ex-Rhodesian the film argues, can determine the region's future. intelligence chief Ken Flower explains why he formed MNR and why he turned it over to the South Africans The film also discusses the options facing the United when Rhodesia became independent Zimbabwe in 1980. States as the Reagan administration comes under "Mozambique: The Struggle for Survival" analyzes the strong pressure to support the MNR. It provides importance of Mozambiques's three major transport Americans with the vital information they need to routes which make the country southern Africa's natural understand the key issues in southern Africa. Watch gateway to the outside world. As long as MNR rebels Channel 32, WHMM, Tuesday, May 17 at 9 p.m. HOW YOU CAN HELP PROJECTS FUNDED You can help the work of SASP by WITH SASP/D.C. FUNDS volunteering to join our strike force list; strike force members are During the past year the following projects have been on-call to participate in demon supported with funds raised during Southern Africa Week strations and other direct actions and other campaigns: that express our dissatisfaction with U.S. policy in southern Af • October 1987 - $3,000 in medical supplies to victims rica. SASP also needs volunteers of drought and MNR attacks. to help publicize the worldwide boycott of Shell Oil and its prod • March 1988 - $8,000 in educational supplies for ucts. You can also help us during two projects sponsored by the the annual Southern Africa Week programs by volunteering to work Angolan Women's Organization during the radiothon, or other ac tivities that ta1ce place during the week. SOUTH AFRICA'S REGIONAL AGGRESSION FACTS WE SHOULD KNOW UNITA: SOUTHERN AFRICA'S BLOODY TRAITORS The campaign of terror and destruction carried out in Angola by rebels of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNIT A), is financed and as sisted by the apartheid regime of South Africa. South Africa provides logistic, material and other support to help ensure that the people of Angola will not live normal lives and develop land denied to them by 400 years of Portu guese colonialism. UNITA has mined roads, growing fields and other areas frequented by peasants as they go about their daily tasks. UNITA mines have helped to give Angola the highest amputee population in the world. UNITA leader Jonas Savim bi boasts of recognition by many nations, when in fact his support comes mainly from right-wing regimes around the world. His newest and most avid supporters are theReagan administration and the right wing establishment in the U.S. The only leader on the African continent that will acknowledge support for Savimbi and UNITA is South Africa; no leader in Africa wants to be seen with Savimbi ! ANGOLAN AMPUTEE: VICTIM OF UNIT A MINES SOUTH AFRICA'S REGIONAL TERROR • In 1987, an average of 14,200 people were in detention "' The Mozambique National Resistance (MNR), the in South African prisons each day . South African sponsored rebels in Mozambique, are responsible for destroying over 200 schools in the prov • In March 1988, South African agents entered Botswana ince of Maputo over the past 5 years. and killed two South African refugees, and two women who were citizens of Botswana; after shooting their •Even the U.S. State Department has recognized the victims, the South African raiders poured gasoline on the wanton destruction that is the hallmark of the MNR; an house and burned the bodies as well as the structure. South April 1988 report stated that: MNR attacks have driven African officials claim to have been conducting pre over 872,000 refugees to surrounding countries and that emptive strikes against ANC guerillas. over 100,000 may have been killed by the rebels. • In March 1988, the Paris representative of the ANC, "' To find out about the origins of the MNR read, 'De Dulcie September was shot twice in the face while structive Engagement: Southern Africa at War', by David entering her office. Martin and Phyllis Johnson, and' Serving Secretly - An Intelligence Chief on Record: Rhodesia Into Zimbabwe - • ANC representatives have said that its members in 1964-81, by Ken Flower. Both sources tell how South Canada, the U.S., Australia, Rome, Bonn and Stockholm Africa supplied and directed MNR attacks and atrocities have all been threatened. against innocent Mozambicans. SOUTHERN AFRICA: REGION UNDER SIEGE While it is important to continue to try,ithasonly 8millionpeople. Because expose South African government of its abundant mineral reserves, some atrocities against Black South Africans, geologists consider Angola one of the it is also important to recognize that richest countries of southern Africa. REPUBLIC ) South African brutality and repression Since the Popular Movement for the \ OF (po"o ~ SOUTH AFRICA reaches well beyond its borders. South Liberation of Angola (MPLA) came to Africa has used all means to destabilize power in 1975, South Africa has its neighbors. A brief profile of some of launched numerous attacks, raids and in those countries will lead to a better vasions of Angolan territory while con understanding of the southern African tinuing to advise, coordinate and finance after a long period of liberation war region and the need to continue to the anti-government rebels called against a white-led regime.