THE \V ASHINGTON OFFICE ON AFRICA 1 10 M AR YLAND AVENUE. N.E. WAS HI NGTON. D. C. 20002 (202) 546-796 t November 20, 1984
REV. ALL AN BOESAK TO BE INVESTIGATED, CHARGED TRADE UNION LEADERS ALSO UNDER ATTACK
The Reverend Allan Boesak, world-renowned critic of South Africa's racist apartheid system, and the leaders of South Africa's major black trade union fed erations are the latest targets of the South African regime's current crackdown.
Boesak, President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, President of the Al.liance of Black Reformed Christians in South Africa, and co-patron of the United Democratic Front, will be the subject of a full - scale investigation of his activities both within South Africa and abroad during recent years. In a televised speech on Thursday, November 15, 1984, South African Minister of Law and Order Mr. Louis Le Grange denounced Boesak as a "liar and slanderer" and called for the inves tigation, leading to prosecution under Section 27 of the Police Act of 1957 (amen ded in 1980). In a telex message to overseas friends, Boesak commented, "I am fine; I am not afraid." He called Le Grange's denunciations of him, "ranting and raving."
Boesak, during a recent visit to Australia, had said that the South African police had committed "the most unbelievable atrocities" against South African blacks in the current unrest. The Sydney, Australia Morning Herald reported that Boesak had also stated that the South African police is "the most sophisticated murder machine in history," a claim Boesak says he does not remember making. If charged, Boesak will face up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to R 10,000 ($ 5,700).
Section 27 of the Police Act makes it illegal to comment on the activities of the South African police. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Durban, Denis Hurley, President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, has also been charged under Section 27 of the Police Act. Hurley will be tried begirning Feb ruary 18, 1985 for having accused South African forces in Namibia of committing numerous atrocities against Namibian civilians.
Dan Vaughan, Acting General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, commented in a telex message on November 16: ;'The South African Council of Churches must view this in a very serious light. The threat now directed to Dr. Allan Boesak, an outspoken critic of the apartheid policy of the government, must be seen as a threat to Bishop Desmond Tutu, or Archbishop Denis Hurley, or to any person at all. "
Trade union leaders have also come under increasing attack by the Pretoria regime. The current crackdown is the most serious ever directed against the black trade union movement. Among the trade union leaders detained are Piroshaw Camay, General Secretary of the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA), Chris Dlamini, President of the Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU), and members of the General Workers Union, Municipal Workers Union,and the National Automobile and Allied Workers Union.
The situation in South Africa continues to worsen. The New York Times and the Washington Post reported on November 17th that the South African police had arrested 2,300 blacks November 16th in a follow-up to the October 23 surrounding of three black communities in the industrial areas South of Johannesburg known as the Vaal Triangle, bringing the reported total of arrests since August to more that 4,300. At least 160 persons, all but one black, have been Killed in the unrest.
Detentions of opponents of apartheid have also risen since August. The fol lowing is a list of the most prominent recent detainees. Most have been arrested under either Section 28 of the Internal Security Act, which provides for indefinite "preventive detention" in solitary confinement, or under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act, providing for indefinite detention "for the purpose of interrogation."
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THE SPONSORS OF THE WASHINGTON OFFICE ON AFRICA ARE: THE AMERICAN COMMITIEE ON AFRICA. THE AMERICAN LUTHERAN CHURCH, DIVISION FOR WORLD MISSION AND COOPERATION. CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST). CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN. EPISCOPAL CHURCH. COALITION FOR HUMAN NEEDS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA. DIVISION FOR MISSION IN NORTH AMERICA. MISSIONARIES OF AFRICA • SOCIETY FOR AFRICAN MISSIONS (S.M.A FATHERS) • UNITED AUTOMOBILE, AEROSPACE AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA, UAW. UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, BOARD FOR WORLD MINISTRIES, AND OFFICE FOR CHURCH IN SOCIETY. UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, AFRICA OFFICE AND WOMEN'S DIVISION OF BOARD OF GLOBAL MINISTRIES. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U,S.A)
®~67 Name Organiza t i ona l Affjliation Pi r oshaw Camay Genera l Secr e t a ry , Council of Unions of So uth Af r i ca (CUS A) Ka t e Phil i p Pres i dent, Nat ional Union of So uth Af rican Students ( NUSAS ) Gu y Berga Media and Resources Se rvice John Campbe 11 Socia l worker Chris Dlamini President, Federat i on of South Afr i can Trade Unions ( FOS ATU) Bangelizwe Solo FOSATU Tita Magop a Congress of South African Students (C OSAS) Je t hro Dlalisa General Workers Union ( GWU) Obed Bapela COSAS Themba Nonhlantane Municipal Workers Union (MWU ) Thami Mali Chairman, Transvaal Regional Stayaway Committee ( TRSC ) Moses Mayekiso FOSATU executive Mongezi Radebe Sharpeville Ci vi c Association Matsoso Ramakoa Sharpevi l le Ci v i c Association Daniel Nkosi Ratanda Ci v ic Association Thomas Motsile Ratanda Civ ic Association Oupa Monareng President , Soweto Youth Congress Fr. Lord McC amel Chairman, Vaal Ministers Solidarity Committee Fr. Geoffrey Moselane Sharpeville pastor Johnson Hlubi Organizer , Va al GWU Mufison Morobe Member of the executive, United Democratic Front ( UDF) Peter Mabaso Marriage Encounter(family counselling ser vice) Zodwa Mabaso Marriage Encounter, International Grail Movement Peter Makgoba COSAS Popo Molefe General Secretary, UDF Gcinumuni Malindi Vaal Civic Organization Simon Nkondi Detainee's Parents' Support Committee ( DPSC), Institute of Race Relations ( IRR ) Theo Mthembu Journalist, Mining Sun Jerry Kau National Automobile and Allied Workers Union ( NAAWU ) Patrick Lekota Press Secretary, UDF Aubrey Mokoena UDF, Chairman, Release Mandela Campaign (RMC) Mewa Ramgobin Natal Indian Congress (N IC ) , UDF executive George Sewpersadh NIC, UDF executi ve M.J. Naidoo NIC , UDF executive Essop Jassett Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC), UDF executive Curtis Nkondo RMC, UDF Ram Saloojee TIC, UDF Nicodemus T. Phake Azanian Peoples Organi zation ( AZAPO ) several unidentified persons Vaal Ministers Solidarity Committee , Azanian Student Mo vement (A ZASM ), other organiza tions
WHAT YOU CAN DO 1. Write letters protesting the investigation of Rev. Boesak and the trade union crackdown to State President P.W. Botha, Minister of Law and Order Louis Le Grange, and the South African Embassy. Send copies to Secretary of State George M. Shultz. 2. Write letters urging a US condemnation of the South African police activities during the current upheaval to Secretary of State George M. Shultz. 3. Write letters of support to Rev. Boesak, c / o South African Council of Churches, and to FOS ATU and CUSA. 4. Inform others of these happenings ; urge them to respond as we l l.
Add r e sses: Sta te President P. W. Botha Minister of Law and Or de r Louis Le Grange Union Buildings Un i on Buildings Pretoria, SOUT H AFRI CA Pr e t oria, SOUTH AFRI CA The Honorable Ge orge M. Shultz South Af r i can Council of Chur ches Secretary of State P.O. Box 311 90 Washington, D.C. 20520 Braamfontein 2017, SOUTH AFRICA Federation of South African Tra de Unions Co uncil of Unions of South Af rica P.O. Box 322 P. O. Box 10928 7533 Kasselv l ei, SOU TH AFRI CA Johanne sburg, SOUTH AFRICA B. G. Fourie, Ambass a dor Embassy of So uth Afri ca 3051 Ma ssachus e t t s Ave., NW Wa sh i n~ton , D. C. 20008