One Person One Vote in a Unitary South Africa

One person one vote in a unitary South Africa

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Author/Creator National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) Publisher National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) Date 1987 Resource type Circulars Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) South Africa Coverage (temporal) 1987 Source Digital Imaging South Africa (DISA) Rights With thanks to Gail M. Gerhart. Description Circular issued by NUSAS and SANSCO, urging all students to support the principle of one person, one vote in a unitary South Africa, in an upcoming poll. Format extent 4 pages (length/size)

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http://www.aluka.org IN A NTR OUHARC

IN A NTR OUHARC In the next week you will be asked to decide whether or not you support the principle "One Person, One Vote in a unitary South Africa". Votes will be cast by all students, black and white in a national, non-racial poll., also open to staff. All you need is your student or staff card. Polling stations will be all overcampus. Already, massive support has been received for the joint National Union of South African Students-South African National Students' Congress campaign by personalities such as Dr van Zyl Slabbert, Bruce Fordyce, Nadine Gordimer, leading academics such as Prof M Shear, Deputy Vice-Chancellorat Wits, Prof Crowhurst-Bond, Dean of Arts at Durban, and Loius Grundling, Acting Head of the RAU History Department. Student organisations such as the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS), Young Christian Students have come out in full support of the campaign. But it is you who must decide where you stand. You have the choice. NUSAS and SANSCO urge you to say "yes", and in so doing to join thousands of others who together will be making a powerful statement in support of one person, one vote in a unitary South Africa. NUSAS and SANSCO are not calling for a boycott of the white election. But, we do believe that an election which excludes black people in this country cannot play a significant role in addressing the problems which primarily concern those excluded from voting. Voting in the election therefore is not the most important Issue. The nonracial poll at the time of the white election provides while students with another way of expressingtheir politicalview. For black students it is the only option. One Per!,or. One Vote in . un.tary South A'rlca is the bas c democrat.c princip;e wh ch we bel.eve the a:Iwhte e:ecton is not addressirg Until there are full political rxghts lot all South Africans regard'ess of race, peace and lust:ce wii! rema:n an ideal. This is why atl the St Cs on N.USAS campuses, and SANSCO have coe Out in ful! supipo!t of c.impa n We bei.e. tiat students mu:,t dec On ' form CI democracy they c,,d Ike to see Yoj have i, choice of vot.ng "Y(S' or -1O4. Resording suppo:t !c! C-,. ca:1 w 1 be a cdear me.srsae to South Aftcans and the vwrd at large that students re;ect apartheid and are prepared to face the challenges of the future. A vole for One Person, Otte Vote will be a signal that we are prepared to take South Africa out of a state of conflict and turmoil oreacha just solution. We believe that it lays the basis fore South Africa where It will be possible to speak of: * economic growth rep;,acing an economy wrecked by apatle.d Sa:: South Africans dec.ding o. the future conr,ti:U.o. and governmeA'. a iparthed a-, a th.qg of the past p eI ice instead of civil wa' a nonracial and denocra.:c Scuth Africa taking i's p'ace a a ong teadir.' na!'oS Cf the wo,,d We are not saying thiat 0:r Person. One Vote will guarantee the ideals of freedom. lustice and improvement and quality of life for all. But. without it there is no chance of achieving them. We can be a pat of shaping this futureNUSAS and SANSCO believe that the following demtind will have to be met beforeallpeoplein thiscountry can determine this future. In calling for one person, one vote in a unitary South Africa we are calling on students to debate, discuss and accept the demands of the majoity. We therefore reaffirm the call for : * the release of poht:cal prisoners * the removal of armed forces from the communities. campuses and schools * the scrapping o! apartheid education I the hlifng of press restrictions * the removal of aprtheid laws. including the state of emergency * the unbanning of banned =aganisations * a livinqwaqeflor a 711-1711PLAINING TIM', NL'SAS-SANSCO CAMPAIGN

What NUSAS is saying about voting. on'May 6 NUSAS Is not calling for a real power, Does the Slate boycott of the white Security Council meet beelection. But, we believe fore every cabinet meeting I ? that an rejection which Do the Joint Management excludes bl&(* People Can- Committees in fact make the not play a significant role In real decision at a local leevel? addressing the urgent What role does the military issues facing us. Voting is play in political decision not the most Important makiing? What is the vote issue. By focussing on the worth 10 the average while principlecillone person, one South African? vote, we are focussing on what we believe is the most It is with this in rnind that we Important issue In South echo Dr Stuart Saunders. African politics. Vicechanceffor of UCT, when he says: 'it would The election itself is neither seem to me that the actions free nor fair. Not fair. of those who are able to play because a minority of South a pan in the election by castAfricans will elect a ing their votes, should be parliament which will attempt determined by whether, in to determine the future of their judgement, this will the majority of South speed the emergence of a Africans. Not free because free and democratic Souht the elections take place Africe. under a state of emergency with police and armry corilrol; NUSAS believes that the there is heavy censorship of non-racial poll provides you the press, an almost total with an opporlunity, when information blackout, and no May 7 dawns, to be able to freedom of association. make a powerful statement Extra -parliamentary political about the future. That organisations are suffedng whether or not you vote ip under the worst attack since the white election on May 6. the 1960s. The African wide scale support for one National Congress is person, one vote in a unitary banned. The fricameral South Africa will be a strong parliament was clearly signal that students are rejected in 1984, as were facing the challenges of the community councils and tomorrow the bantustans. We also encourage The elections provide no students to accompany solution Aside from voting in our non-racial poll whether any party offers a with further actions-jointing realistic program for change, organisations. debating the outcome of the election these issues further, finding is clear. The National Party out more and protesting the will retain power, even if it injustices of apartheid In loses some support to the this way, we can Say that we independents, or the have used these elections PFP/NRP alliance. in a poslive way, in a way in which we "speed the We must ask ourselves emergence of a free and whether parliament has any democratic South Afdca-. hh a,"_=l l It/F . ..~ R Parliament: In 1983, NUSAS cam- Nationalit government n!e paigned against the constitutionalproposalsonthe Increasingly. whiles are basis that it was racist and feeling powerless to change undemocratic. 14000 stu- the situation they find dents on campuses themselves in In the words nationally signed a petition of the United DemocratIc rejecting the new con- Front. 'he country is stitution. In 1987, ourworst already being run indirectly fears then are now the by the military Increasingly reality, ordinary whites will tind them selves excluded from effective political power For the past 26 months, The chicken of political South Africa was been domination has cone home wracked by lhe worst to roost outbreak of violence iii the country's hislory The Why we say the implelnentalion of the Iricameral proposals despite parliament is rawidespread protest has led cist and undemto escalating discontent in the townships. while the ocratic: governmenl's response has - Whiles, coloureds and Inbeen to crush all dissent. dians are represented in and to build a wall of silence their respective parliaments around the white in the ratio ot 4 2 1. and the community Parliament has African majority is excluded become a rubber stamo for The parliament is premised EYRMK-I

.l Ihe Itrcamoral electionf s 1984 were met firaistoi NUSAS-SANSCO say a vote in the non-racial poll is a vote for DEMOCRACY The Black Sash in it s message of support for one person, one vote In a unitary South Africa said: "The Black Sash is proud to join NUSAS in asserting once again its commitment to universal sufferage.. While we acknowledge that the system of one person, one votemay not of itself guarantee freedon and justice, we know that freedom and justice cannotexist without it." Your vote in the poll is an act to build a just futiure: In the process of resisting apartheid South Africans are laying the basis for their future now The UDF and COSATU have been formed to expess the grievances of the people they organise and to fight for a just solution. Mlhons of South Africans are engaged in this proce s. One Person One Vote is a commitment to democracy: South Africans demand trat the tricameral paliament be scrip-ed. The call is for a new constilution. where everyone shculd haje the right to vote for and stand as a candidate for all bodies which make laws, at ail levels of government, The tigfhts of individuals should be guaranteed This includes the rights to housing, work. trade. otganise, publish, preach, move, education, medical facilt;es and access to courts of law. These rights are enshrined in the Freedom Charter. Whether one agrees with this document or not it is c'ear that the interests of the maijority are in peace and justice. not in reverse racism. revenge or undemocratic rule A unitary South Africa is a commitment to ending the divisions in SA f3aniustans based on ethnoc!iy and racism are rejected by the majority of South Africans Regional options such as the kwa Natal indaba or other federal optons ire being put forward as consl,,ulonal frameworks which accommodate limited black asprations Thieso options are rejected as they perpeotLae ethnic;y and pc'.'cal and economic inequaiies entrenched by iparlhe.d Only an ,;. 1 Ii .ind- ,'i' Sc_ AG.. wi'uncon&;or'.a'y aidd'-..ti'efrqi.t A commitment to one person one vote is a commitment to genuine negotiation these negotiations wil be amed at the abolilion of apartfeid. To create a chmate for negoa aon. this means a 'norma .sa.icn' of the political process This would include unbanning banned organisa'iors. releasing po;.ca, prisoners. ending the emergency. and scrappng all apartheid law. I is in this way that we may move to a rapid roso:uion of contic in South A u a just a the implementation of the bantustan policy. resettle. ment, influx control and the Population Registration Act - The tricameral parliament was set up without consultation with the majority of South Africa's people Only the whites were consulted. and, having won a referendum in support of their tricameral proposals, the government implemented them. Massive protests led by the UDF against the elections for the coloured and Indian parliamenst led to very low polls, leaving them, in effect toothless. - The fricameral parliament is heaviliy biased in favour of National Party rule, and has vested enormous power in the hands of the executive State President. The executive State President is elected by an electoral college nominated by the majority parties in each Nat rubber stamp! chamber in the ratio 4 2 1 and is hence dominated by the Nats In turn. the executive Slate President nominates a Cabinet tharcan be drawn from outside parliament. The President's Council is elected to resolve any deadlock belween the three chambers This is also a Nat dominated body. Even when in June 1986. the PFP. NAP and all the black parties opposed the Le Grange bills, and outvoted the Nafs and CP, the President's Council pushed it through Ouite clearly, the tricameral system allows the Nals to call the shots-somelimes subtely with the coloured and Indian rubber stamp, but if necessary without it. - In addition. parliament itself is not the seat of power, even for the white community Apart from the fact that the Stale President has the power to dissolve Parliament, real power over policy and dayto- day decision making is vested in the State Security Council, and the Joint Management Committee system. Here away from. public sc'rutiny, state bureaucrals, the military and police and selected business sectors plan anbd implement stale strategy Parliament has become little more than a rubber stamp. Executive responsibility has shifted away from it. and even from the parliamentary caucus of the NP, into then hands of a faceless bureaucracy, dominated by the police and the military Even if a PFP-led reformist coalition succeeded in capturing power in parliament (no political analyst gives this any chance), the power of the military and police and the developed for mlunCing policy would in all likelihood precipitate the demolition of parliament and direct security force rule Clearly, the tricameral parliament is both undemocratic and racist In effect it was still-born and bound to fail With the prospect of continued rule under the tricameral parliament a gloomy one, the campaign for one person, one vole is an opportunity for us to deepen our protests of 1984 when we gave warning of what we knew the bitter fruits of the parliament would be We believe that the real engine for change lies outside parliament with opposition groupings like UDF and COSATU. NUSAS and SANSCO can be your connection with these vehicles for change *0SONON OEIAUIARSOTAFRC I

All South Africans must be able to vote and govern and most of all to PARTICIPA TE Black South Africans are not may mean an ANC government educated enough to vote and F [,.'or [e. o n v in aunitary Sooner or later . al people in rule the country this country will have the right Al people regardless of their to vote I is the democratic education are able to identify right of all to choose the accurately their needs and to government Civil war and con. express them. You do not trontalion underpin white m~n. need need a matric to select a ory rule We need to reach leader or party who can best real political stab;iy based on represent you( needs. The lack 01,N - , consent and democracy. In of black education is directly a Rhodesia whies were made t result of apartheid education. believe that Muzorewa wou i Whites cannot now deny black win the electons li.&Lgabe and South Africans the vote on the his party were panted as bloodgounds of the very' interior thirsty comm nists Mugabo's education they received The victory came as a huie shock organisations resisting apar- to them Mugabe 'urned out to thed have produced world be a reasonaLf'e and mtei.gen renowned leaders who have the leader. tools to govern South Africa. We must comn!t c- rselves IC But iookwhat majorityrule has free ng tre po!tx:cal processes done to the rest of Africa in So.,th Aiica so tha Africa's history is a history of evpry ne ca-. i'--ar t. ! vew, n cocr..sr Soutr 'rica s pro- a IX trx;.-: is aidC ce Ci blems are its own. Solutions to democratca y who should ru.e South Africa's problems are not One may ask whether Soth going to be found in finger- Alrica under an ANC goen pointing exercises. they will be' ment woud be aS t.erroie as ti found through a commitment to South Aftican co.enment -.e. brirging all South Africans into to make o.;t It .. ... I the process of finding the judge Withc,, !fee access I so:uton. South Africa is a very mnformaIon onte ANC rich country. Its resources are more than adequate to be able Argumentsforonepersonon to address poverty, homeless- vote ness. unemployment and Demr-.ocracy nears by starvation caused by apar- drrn eve .dr pll.al r ': theid We cannot underes. tO every person. kard- es0s o timate the effects of South race. creed ci wed. fi Arica's destabilsation policy * Every g )ver:-p er reciie: on the rest of the sub region. -e i::macy and consent i govern lh;can only be Ihi What about the protection of case if eve-y erson belirve minorities? that he or s', has an e'fect'i If the rights of individuals are say IT) Ine >,):ces C III protected by law surely there is "overnnne ' no need for minorties to be In Soith Afr -a, I i protected' And are m-nority racial and democratic social whites government has no legitimac' rjft desirable anyway" It order that caters'for and cares ltc-x -,-_s.! rr' V's tl-at the in thr- e)es of kC%'/ of it there 6ere a mnorty whte for a;1 South ANicans. f,. e q(: eii; ru".t be peop;e it has sysltnatca;. veto, then whar-s could veto We can have one person, one idd'5esed eroded t! er r t.. inre, the d.smantting of aparthed vote ... but blacks must vote in * tncq-al edca, l.n - uneqa! Iher in'etests. and scencei laws They cou;d refuse to do the bantustans and in their acces - , 'g. t-aes;x-t l-ir voce I: If. ows that !h away w:th the Group Areas Act independent city states and ,a-d un 'jst.,lo f-st step to reso..e tIe grown ard separate educat on In This is an argument whch d c epiric '-; w heth care cOnfl ct wo;ld be to ensure t'a sum they could hofd t'e entire unde-p,nned the ceat:on of 4he Tis red otr-t-t -n would the legtnacy O I tiI country to ransom, While it is trIcameral paltamen! sparking pro)aby mean trat lh'htes government ef the cay understandable for many the current wave of protest. It wojol have to sacr .fce some of secure hfroagh th whites to fear that they may be is this system that has caused their privi;eges Baut would this guaranteeng of th treated as they have treated the forced removals of 3 mi;lon sacr!ice vaguely compare to participation of a'l Soui blacks for so long and peop'e. Frghtening infant the sacriflce of al South Africans in the politic; therefore "want to secure mortaity rates and starvaton Africans in a protracted civil process minority rights, there is nothing in the homelands which have war and ontrnueo isolation in the traditions of the mato, r, economic or social viability One person, one vote = ANC - One person, one vote is th, black political parties which is tire reality of the bantustans, rule minimum demand of th gives grounds for these tears. The majority have relected a One person, one vote in a majority. Unless we comm NUSAS has met with all the divided Soulh Africa unitary South Africa Is a ourselves to this. there is n major political forces-the Oneperson,onevotemeansa principle which commits us to possibildty of the resolution UDF. the ANC and COSATU. redistribution of wealth and a accepting the wishes of all the current deadlock am They have alt argued tot a non- brop in living standards for people in this country. This conflict. 0 t ,i 0 e ,i a it 0 f OAJI. omglot in lht , 9dilor) b1i Colln C-Ok,'Man all of 2 Rhode svew- 435 Main RD,),d Otis e rVa lo(v