South African Churches Under.Attack
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Y K on the World Council of Churches' supporters of southern Afi Program to Combat Racism. liberation movements we But why no mention in that same implicitly or explicitly accep editorial of their vicious red-baiting idea that the anti-apartheid r of the path-breaking October 1981 ment here was a "CP front." Conference in Solidarity with the would be a mirror image of R Liberation Struggles of the Peoples ia's view that the African N t Dear Friends: Africa held at New Congress of South Africa isma feels apprehensive in of Southern One always York's Riverside Church? Or do you lated and directed by the E writing a publication one admires accept the absurd notion that this African Communist Party am only when severe criticism arises. mass upsurge of anti-apartheid, Sldvo. I trust that you will spea But the alternative of looking the anti-imperialist sentiment was all a on this matter in the near f other way is even more ghastly to devious and manipulative effort and vigorously protest "60 contemplate. I refer to the editorial by the Communist utes' red-baiting. issue ["The Gos manufactured in your March 1983 silence on this to CBS"] that torrect Party, USA? Your pel According question was deafening. ly raked CBS and "60 Minutes" over Solid the coals for their unseemly attack It would be ironic indeed if US Dr. Gerald. Southern Africa is in the news and what better way to stay up-to-date than with Southern Africa Magazine? Since 1965, Southern Africa has been provid e Extensive coverage of developments in tl ing consistent, reliable and often exclusive cov Frontline States: ZIMBABWE: information erage of political and economic developments in political developments and rural developmer southern Africa. If you had been reading South MOZAMBIQUE: women workers and on Soui ern Africa's last few issues, you would have read: Africa's destabilization effort as explained I Mozambique's Minister of Information: A] GOLA: South Africa's occupation and intern * Interviews with SOUTH AFRICAN resist developments. leaders including Winnie Mandela, Bishop ance t] Desmond Tutu, Zwelakhe Sisulu and Dr. Nthato If you want to get all this each month, plus Motlana. latest from Washington and on the solidari movement SUBSCRIBE NOW! * An exclusive inside report from the SOWETO, South Africa, June 16 memorial service And if you subscribe today, we'll give you t] even though all press had been banned from first exciting month of Southern Africa absolut attending. ly free. There's never been a better time to jo * Articles on developments inside NAMIBIA as the people who know the story in Southe. well as on the negotiations for independence. Africa. V *.SOUTHERN CONTENTS PROFILE Af 3 TransAfrica: Africa's Ally RICA in Washington Volume XVI Number SOUTH AFRICA 3 6 South African Churches Under April 1983 Attack 8 Labour Party Decision Sparks Protests CEUTA MLILLA -.--- I - ZIMBABWE 9 Nkomo flees Zimbabwe NAMIBIA 13 SWAPOLeader Raps Reagan CULTURE 14 The Role of Culture in the Struggle of lndependence: Remembering Amilcar Cabral ANGOLA 17 SWAPO Refugees: With the People of Cuanza Sul BOOK REVIEW .j- 22 South African Sports - ~ SOLIDARITY NEWS A ..IWA I" 26 Mass Divest-A Campaign That DEPARTMENTSWorked . ".'. 2 Update • " -2824 BriefsSolidarity News , T" Cover Photo: Lynne Barbee ..ASCAA Members of the Southem Africa collectve who contributed to the production of this Issue: Mark Beittel Subscription ndividual (domestic1/$ 0:00: Institutional/$18,00: Individual (foreign)/ Jim Cason. Lee Cokorinos. Jennifer Davis. Asma $13.00: Feyijinmi. Mike Fleshman. William Hartung, Mitchell Hinz. Institutional/S21 .00: Airmai: Africa, Asia. Europe/$22 50: South and Central Richard Knight. Peter America/$19.50. Mark. Ar1ew Marx. Frank Morales, Malik Stan Reaves, Rebecca Reiss. Stephanie Urdang. Steve Vegh. Jim Weikart, Southern Africa is available on microfilm through University Microfilm Zerox Com Special thanks for their assistanc to: Africa News. Lynne Barbee, Lisa Blou John pany. Ann Arbor. Mich. 48104. and is listed in the Alternative Press iex and the Public Affairs C rowe, Robin Derby. Traoey Dewart, Nancy Er~r, Hattie Goaselit. mani Ber-Hastain. Information Service. karen JolkovSki. Aure Lorde Lori Miller, Beth Minsky. Kary Moss. Nancy Pleasant. "Mara Russell. Corbin Seavers Kent Spring. Teresa Stern. Reginald Woolery. Dan Distributom: New York. NY: Joe Massey: Washington DC Liberation inforrnation Zedeck Distribution Co Boston, MA: Carrier Pigeon. Third World Distributors: Chicago Prairie News Agency Minneapolis.: MN: Rainbow IPistribution, Atlanta. GA, Guild News Agency, Cabel R News: Detroit, M New Directions Southern Afrca is publishe monthty except for January-February and August. nterprises September, when bi-monthly by the Southern Africa Committee. 198 Broadway. ISSN 938-3775 NewYork, NY 10038, (212) 619-3314. APRIL 1983/SOUTHERN AFRICA 1 uprisings in 1976. "The South Afri Botha, Union Buildings, Pretor can government is trying to remove South Africa. Letters of solidar the leadership of the people in order should go to SAAWU, 94 Tasnr to suppress the revolutionary tempo Center, 122 Victoria Street, Di of the country," said Makhanda. ban, 40001, South Africa. "For instance, they- cannot legally arrest someone for leading a union, so they arrest them for 'reviving the Frontline Leader PAC.' Meets Reagan Makhanda also pointed out that Zambian President Kenn( the trial began March 22, just one Kaunda met for two hours in Wa day after the 23rd anniversary of ington with President Ronald R PAC Trial Opens the Sharpeville massacre in 1960, gan on March 30. Kaunda, a strc when 67 unarmed demonstrators, critic of Reagan's "constructive On March 22, the trial of nine led by the PAC, were gunned down gagement" policy towards Sot Black South African activists ac for protesting South Africa's pass Africa, and of Washington's hi cused of "furthering the aims" of the laws. dling of the Namibia negotiatia exiled Pan Africanist Congress of was at pains to find points of agr Azania, began in Johannesburg. ment with the president, saying i The trial marks the first major Union Loader two, "share an abhorrance of i court case involving the PAC since apartheid system," and that Nam 1979, when the "Bethal eighteen" Tortured ia "is a serious problem." Black activists were convicted of But Kaunda's visit, the first b: forming a PAC front organization In early March the South African leader of an African "frontlii inside South Africa. police detained a number of Black state since Reagan's inaugurati Those on trial this March include labor leaders in another crackdown seemed more motivated by econc a banned journalist and founding on South Africa's independent ics than politics. Zambia is seek: member of the Union of Black Jour Black trade union movement. Ac US support for a rescheduling of nalists, Joseph Thlole, the secretary cording to the New York-based $3 billion foreign debt, and acco of the Black Municipal Workers American Committee on Africa, ing to some reports, for a new % Union, Philip Dlamini, and the en those detained include the president million loan from the Internatioi tire leadership of the Azanian of the South African Allied Workers Monetary Fund. Youth Unity Organization (AZAN Union, Thozamile Gqweta, SAAWU Although Washington has bx YU). The AZANYU defendants Vice President Sisa Njikelna, and critical of Kaunda's purchases Chairman Harrison Nongqekele, Jef Nabena, also a member of arms from the Soviet Union, he General Secretary Sipho Ngcobo, SAAWU. SAAWU members Bung also viewed as moderate, and p Branch Chairman Mfana Mtshali, wizi Sufing, Humphrey Mafegwana, Western, and a state departmi and President Nhlanganigo Siban as well as Sidney Mafanude, a source suggested the US would b da-were arrested in May 1982 and member of the General and Allied additional IMF loans to the ha detained on unspecified charges. Workers Union, were also detained pressed central African state. Also on trial are Shadrack Ram recently. pete, husband of AZANYU Treasurer Most of the labor leaders have Bafedile Rampete, and two other been detained before, and for Black community leaders, Veli Gqweta this is the eighth time since Mguni and Steven Mzolo. 1980 that he has been picked up. In -All nine are charged with further late March Gqweta submitted de ing the aims of the PAC by procure tailed testimony of the torture he ment of arms, recruitment of people, has been subjected to while in cus and mobilizing support within trade tody. In one incident he was union and community organiza stripped naked, handcuffed and sus tions. pended from window bars. A wet Asked about the trial and its sig bag was then put over his head and nificance for the struggle in South electric shock applied to his toes. Africa, PAC Assistant to the Repre After his testimony before a South sentative to the United Nations, African court, Gqweta was returned Kindo Makhanda, placed the trial to police custody. in the context of the PAC's long The American Committee on history of struggle inside the coun Africa has put out a call requesting try, from the Sharpeville demon that letters of protest be sent to the strations in 1960 to the Soweto South African Prime Minister P.W. 2 SOUTHERN AFRICA/APRIL 1983 PROFILE TransAfrica: Africa's Ally in Washington 130 national Black leaders initially convened by Charles Diggs, then the chairman of the House Africa subcommitee, and by Andrew Young, at the time a Congressman from Atlanta. The leaders at that conference were concerned about the direction of US policy towards white minority-ruled Rhodesia, and they felt that Black Americans needed a permanent vehicle through which they could express their views on American foreign policy towards Africa and the Carib bean. Out of that conference came a resolution establishing Trans Africa.