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The Legacy of Sharpeville

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The Legacy of Sharpeville Editorial Comment THE LEGACY OF SHARPEVILLE The Sharpeville Massacre and the le, we sti 11 and with added stubborn subsequent banning of our organisa­ ness are steadfastly raising tion, the African National Congress, our fists against the clouds, dema­ are two events of great importance in nding freedom not only in our life­ the history of the Black man's stru­ time, but NOW. The masses of the ggle. In the main it is the two eve­ oppressed of our land in all their nts that made clear to all that with­ formations are up in arms, mobilis­ out arms in hand our fight for a new ing all their strength to put the South Africa fashioned along the pri­ apartheid system to a speedy end. nciples enshrined in the freedom Cha­ The Anti-republic and Anti-SAIC Ca­ rter, the only viable alternative to mpaigns, to mention only two, are apartheid tyranny, would end up bei­ unforgettable episodes in this ard­ ng just a pipe-dream, or, at best, uous march and are shining examples would take us centuries to realise. of the resolve of our people to spa­ Hence the formation of our people's re no quarter in the struggle agai­ array, Umkhonto we Sizwe, as the reply nst racist tyranny. SASOL, Voortre- to the unending terror and violence kkerhoogte, Komatipoort, Koeberg and of the arbitrary apartheid state. Pietermaritzburg, to mention but a few, bear witness of the glaring pre­ The ensuing years have indeed been sence of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the army difficult, years of gruelling, bit­ of our oppressed, as the unfailing ter and hard fighting, of advances and spearhead of these popular mass up­ setbacks, but always years of victo­ surges. ry. Today, 23 years after Sharpevil­ 1 The despotic rulers of our land These are open and desperate efforts are not folding their arms marvelling to disarm us by silencing all organ­ at the cloud of revolution gathering isations through which our voices of over the laager. Sharpeville - whi­ protest against the status quo are ch was in no way the first massacre heard. We must not allow the racists of unarmed Africans, nor the first to succeed. of its kind in scope and everything - In the face of this brutal onslaught was not the last. There has been the by the enemy we need to heed with Soweto June 16, Matola and Maseru revolutionary haste to the cal1 of the Massacres; and more will follow as National Executive Committee on Jan­ our goal becomes more clearer and mu­ uary 8 tc: ch nearer. It is precisely the cer­ " * organise the people into stro­ tainty of their inevitable overth­ ng mass democratic organisa­ row that make the racists frenzied, tions; sending them running amok. * organise all revolutionaries Countrymen and fellow-combatants, into underground units of the this year the enemy is visibly dig­ AKC; ging in. Despite our growing reje­ ction of the 'Presidential Council1, * organise all combatants into the racist regime has not as yet a- units of Umkhonto we Sizwe; bandoned its plans but is daily see­ king new ways and means of dividing * organise all democratic forces the Black oppressed, as evidenced in into one front for national the s"o-called new deal for urban liberation." Rlacks. The decision of the Transvaal Anti- Coupled with this are also frant­ SAIC Congress (TASC) to revive the ic efforts to silence all voices of Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC) and principled opposition.The Detainees' the call for the formation of the Uni­ Parents' Support Committee (DPSC) is ted Democratic Front to fight against being accused of being a support gro­ the so-called President's Council's up of the AKC because of its unfli­ constitutional proposals are giant nching opposition to detention with­ steps in the right direction. We must out trial and torture of detainees. all extend the call to the formation Add to this the establishment of an of a National Front for Liberation, Eloff commission of inquiry into the rallying around the Freedom Charter affairs of the South African Coun­ and uniting in action all forces oppo­ cil of Churches. sed to apartheid rule. United in ac­ We need not be reminded as to what tion, the surest and speediest way follows the findings of such commis­ to victory, let us all trample over sions. Cillie, Wiehahn, Steyn, Riek- tho fascists' heads and march forward ert, etc., are as vivid in our memory. to liberation. 2 .
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