\r IBERATION OF OUTHERN FRICA (with B.C.M.H.E.) box 8'791. boh~l. mass. 02114 WOMEN AND THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION IN SOUTH AFRICA All Black South Africans suffer under the and they must leave their children with rela- laws of apartheid; a system which has been de- tives. Some women illegally join their hus- signed to create an underpaid, unskilled Black bands in urban areas. They usually have to live workforce from which whites and foreign cor- in illegal squatter camps and live in constant porations in South Africa can profit. This fear of being caught and sent back to the workforce has been created by forcing Blacks "homelands." to reside in rural "homelands" (or "Ban- The burden of discriminatory employment tustans") that are too small and infertile to sup- practices in the urban areas and rural poverty port their large Black population. To support in the "homelands" is particularly heavy on themselves, many Black people must leave the women, who bear the responsibility for raising "homelands" to migrate to cities to take the un- children. Isolated in the "homelands" with derpaid jobs to which they are restricted. Only little or no income they are frequently unable able-bodied, employed Black people, however, to adequately provide for their families. are legally allowed into urban areas, and any- WOMEN AND THE LIBERATION one who is sick, too old, or too young, or unem- STRUGGLES ployed must remain in the "homelands." This South African women recognize that they enables white employers to pay wages that are oppressed as women; but they also re- barely provide for the needs the individual cognize that it is apartheid's oppression of all worker, much less a family. Black people that has made this female op- This apartheid system oppresses men and pression intolerable. In discussing the li- women, but women bear a greater burden. beration of women, a South African woman Since men are preferred employees, it is dif- said, "Were our women to lauch a frontal at- ficult for women to enter the cities. Many tack on men... would they attain their li- women are left in the "homelands" to try and beration? Do our women really want to share scratch a living out of the poor soil. Those the dismal oppression of our men - do we women who enter the cities illegally are forced want to be equal to such abysmal humiliation? into the worst jobs - often domestic work - (cont. on next page) 2 (Women in S. A. con?.) Certainly not. We are then left with one option only, and that is to fight side by side with our men for national liberation." Echoing this call, South African women have adively worked with men in the national liberation movements. In 1943, for example, 15,008 women and men tesk part in a bus boy- cott in Johannesburg. Participants walked 18 miles a day to and from work to protest an in- crease in bus fares. In 1949, women and men workers engaged in a spectacular national work stoppage. Hun- dreds of thousands took part in what was pri- marilv a protest against apartheid and the elec- tion of the ultra-conservative Nationalist gov- ernment in a whites-only election. During the Ssweto uprising af 1976, young women along with young men organized, pro- tested and were jailed. Older women were ac- tive in forming the Black Parents Association to show solidarity with Black youth. Winnie Mandela THE WOMEN'S PASS LAW CAMPAIGNS Women have also struggled separately from men. Probably the most important struggle of of three. All Pretoria was filled with women. South African women against their oppression Though protest continued in rural areas as well has been the struggle against the pass law sys- as urban areas, passes were issued. Women tem. This struggle began in 1913 in the Orange were forced to accept them in order to obtain Free State (a province of South Africa). There, pensions, to teach or nurse, and to register the women who lived in urban areas were forced to birth of their children. buy a permit or pass each month that they SOLIDARITY WITH SOUTH AFRICAN chose to remain in these areas. First, women WQMEN petitioned against the passes, but this failed The U.S. solidarity movelnent has begun to and across the Orange Free State women held emphasize the imprtance sf women's re- mass demonstrations. Although many women sistance to the apartheiai government. In Bos- were arrested and jailed, the struggle con- ton, a group sf woncn has been active sin= tinued for several years and eventually the Nov. 1977 in cduslting and erganiaing women women won. Passes were withdrawn. in support of South African women and their The pass struggle was rekindled in 1955 role in the national liberation strude. This when the Ministry of Native Affairs once again greup is callad the Winnie Mandela Solidarity stated that all women would be required to Committee (WMSC). It is named after Wide carry passes. The first big protest aminst the Mandela, a Black South African woman who passes, attended by 2,800 women, took place has helped lead the fight agoinst apartheid and that October in Pretoria, the capital. The ac- who has been interrogated, jailed, banned and tions spread and the following year in August tortured fer her activities. Despite this, she 28,000 women assembled in Pretoria. Since all processions were banned that day the women continues to be an inspiring and active leader walked to the government buildings in groups THE SOUTH AFRICA BOXING CONNECTION WBZ-TV 4 -RE4 APAll;rHEID

, AND A5FROUDASA?UCOCK L Among the problems South Africa's whites letes were officially excluded from the Boston face is the rather enviable one of ample leisure Marathon. These were serious setbacks for time. With almost every white household well white South Africa. Every time a South Af- supplied with servants of all kinds, including rican athlete is barred from international com- cooks, laundry 'girls' and garden 'boys,' whites petition, the message that the racist policies of have lots of spare time. Many of their homes that country are unacceptable is hammered have swimming pools and/ or tennis courts in home to all white South Africans. the back yards. Furthermore, the government However, as South Africa has become in- provides excellent sports facilities for whites. creasingly isolated from the sporting com- As you might expect, then, sports are a very sig- munity, it has become more desperate to open nificant part of white South African culture. new opportunities for sports contact. South International sports competition has for Africa has found that opportunity in pro- many years provided South Africa with a fessional boxing. forum where the country could participate as an equal with other nations. In sports, the no- U.S. PROMOTER SERVES APARTHEID torious apartheid nation has enjoyed a rare ac- According to an anti-apartheid group, the ceptability. Sports therefore have provided a American Coordinating Committee for Equal- natural avenue for the South African gov- ity in Sports and Society (ACCESS), the ernment's overseas propaganda machinery. South African government secretly spent over $1 million in the U.S. in the past year to pro- SOUTH AFRICA ISOLATED mote the participation of South African ath- In 1970 South Africa was excluded from the letes in professional boxing. The World Box- Olympics. Apartheid apologists cried foul; ing Association (WBA) is largely controlled by "sports should not be mixed with politics." In the American promoter Bob Arum. Over the 1979 the governing body for international past few years the WBA and Arum have forged Track and Field prohibited South African par- close links with the South African Boxing ticipation. Earlier this vear South African ath- (cont. on p. 12) (Women in S.A. cont.) of the resistance. pressed people in the U.S. This pamphlet, Most recently, the WMSC has published a writterp hP -ri langue, .ir saeef the first pamphlet on South African wo- and tkik successful atfemp&+ts~akt infswutien -on stru&le. The pamphlet highEgh#s the Me of' women availabk to pcepk subide the aca- Wide Mandela as a woman en ia demic and pblitical cewdties. Iaformzgon worstn's struggles and in the national li- on the pa+hl& er WTofSC r;an be ebtained beration struggle as a whole. Further it draws from WMSC,c/o P.O. Box 8791, Besten, .MA out the connections between the Sauth African 021 14. liberation struggle and the struggles of op- -Liz Dressen WOMEN IN ZIMBABWE A new role for women in Zimbabwe is being born, and the midwife is that country's struggle for liberation, led by the Patriotic Front. Last May, the first seminar for women in the Zim- babwean liberation movement took place in Mozambique. The goal of the seminar was to increase women's participation in the struggle. TRADITIONAL AND COLONIAL REPRESSION OF WOMEN Delegates talked about how people in the lib- eration movement could overcome the ob- stacles to women's advancement posed by the present society. Customs such as bride price, or lobola, polygamy and ideas of male su- periority still inhibit women. In traditional African society, women pro- duced much of the surplus wealth by their agri- ALWAYS A MINOR cultural work, but men controlled the fruits of women's labor. Polygamy (the practice of hav- Regarding polygamy, Rhodesian law has co- ing more than one wife) meant that a man operated with the conservative aspects of tra- could obtain the labor power of several women ditional African society to keep women down. to increase his own wealth and prestige. In ad- Legislation against polygamy has been con- dition, the lobola, paid in cattle and set by the fusing, contradictory, and ineffective. The bride's father, would be paid to the groom's Marriage Act of 1964 distinguishes marriages family. No young man could marry unless his according to traditional law from civil mar- family provided the lobola for him. riages. Thus, a man may have only one wife ac- When colonialism came to Zimbabwe, it cording to civil law, but many according to tra- had to destroy the self-sufficiency of African ditional law. For civil marriages, the Marriage economies in order to create a labor pool for its Act fixes the minimum age of the bride at 16, mining and agricultural business. Eventually, insists on free consent of both partners, and re- more than half of all African men had to leave quires the consent of the guardians of minors. their homes to work for the Europeans. Mean- The catch is that all African women, no matter while, women were left behind to maintain sub- what age, are considered under the law to be sistence farming and to tend the livestock. minors. A Zimbabwean woman in Rhodesia, However, since men now contributed money, as a minor, cannot open a bank account, be- their superior status remained unchanged. come a tenant, or even collect a registered let- With the cash influx, young men could now ter. For as long as she is married, she remains a obtain the lobola for themselves and as a re- minor under the guardianship of her husband. sult, bonds between the couples' families have The only way she can obtain legal standing in been diminished. Previously, difficulties in a her own right is after the dissolution, by marriage would be handled by the elders of the divorce or husband's death, of a civil marriage. two families. A woman today has little re- Even then, she can receive custody of her child- course if her husband should prove cruel or un- ren only if her husband has thus provided in his just. will. (conr. on next page) only 15 out of 65 parliamentary seats to Af- The Call/cpf ricans. Two thousand protesting women were arrested and put into the Salisbury prison. When fined in court, they refused to pay, pre- ferring to serve their sentences. Unfortunately, Mugabe recalled, their husbands paid the fines and threatened to find other women if their wives didn't leave the prison and come home. In this instance, Mugabe concluded, "Women had shown greater courage and resolve, indeed far greater commitment than the cowardly men."

GAINING EQUALITY IN THE STRUGGLE In addition te looking back to history to un- derstand the roots sf women's oppression and resistsnce, the women's seminar also looked ta the future. It decided that women's leadership must be strengthened. As Zvipange explained, "Why should we wait for the male cadres to in- (Zitnbabwe Women cont.) terpret the news we hear on the radio? We must learn to analyze for ourselves, to understand CHANGING CONSCIOUSNESS ~liticsand t&think for ourselves." Charm Zvipange, a Zimbabwean woman at The seminar also called for equal represen- the seminar in Mozambique, reported "We tation of women in higher posts, for improved spoke of how women always looked to men for technical education in engineering and guidance and the right answers and that this mechanics, and for the creation of a special must stop. We analyzed lobola, the bride price secretariat fst external relations to send paid by a man for his wife, so we could under- women abroad as represehtatives of the stand better how this made us into com- struggle. modities who were not respected by others and In building a new society, the Patriotic did not respect ourselves. We discussed how Front is addressing basic questions which will womn are at a disadvantage under polygamy improve the quality of life for all Zim- so we can better appdse that as well." babweans. Many of these have special impact A MILITANT HISTORY on women - maternity and children's health ZANU President Robert Mugabe addressed care, equal opportunity in education at all the seminar adtalked abaut the militant his- levels, and greatly increased employment op- tory of Zimbabwean wemen. During the 1896- tions. As Zimbabwean women fight shoulder 7 Chimnrenga rebellion against the Bfitish, it to shoulder with men to liberate their country, was a woman religious leader who mobilized a they are also working and organizing to lib- nationwide underground resistance move- erate themselves and their sisters from their ment. Nehanda Nyakasikana then com- second class status in the old society. manded the armed struggle until it was -Bonnie Bishop crushed. She was hanged by the white settlers in 1898. He also cited the women's demonstra- tion against the 1961 constitution which gave 7 THE MAKING OF A WOMAN ACTIVIST Early in 1970, Caroline Hunter, a young Polaroid. She was surprised by the company's Black woman employed by Polaroid (a Cam- response. She had been disenchanted with her bridge based company) was looking through work at Polaroid - I knew what it meant to be their stockrooms when she noticed a photo- employed in a corporation of that kind as an in- graph of someone she knew attached to an ID dividual and as a Black person" - but up until card. It had written on it, "Republic of South then she had accepted the liberal image that the Africa, Dept. of Commerce, Dept. of Mines," corporation put forward. "Employees could and a phony African name. Caroline didn't protest and raise issues and these would be know much about South Africa, but "I knew it dealt with," she said. "Though this was not the was a bad place for Black people." She realized traditional means of raising an issue we didn't that this advertising mock-up, destined for think it was going to prevent us fro& getting South Africa, must mean that Polaroid was do- in!" ing business in the country. The next few days were busy. A number of She discussed krdiscovery with some fel- workers reproached Caroline for daring to low workers and-by the weekend they had pre- challenge Polaroid's liberal and paternalist pared a leaflet about the apartheid system in image. Some of them accepted Caroline's sug- South Africa, and Polaroid's involvement gestion to call the Human Relations dept. and there. It was providing film and equipment for ask about the issue. When they got no satis- instant photographs for the "passbooks" - factory responses, they were less convinced of the system of identification by which apartheid Polaroid's "innocence." operat&. Over the weekend, Caroline and the At a rally outside Polaroid, a South African group of Polaroid workers posted these leaf- speaker confirmed, from his own experience, lets all over the company buildings. that Polaroid's instant film was used in the THE LIBERAL IMAGE SHATTERED passbooks that all Black people in South Af- rica must carry with them at all times, under When she arrived at work Monday, Caro- penalty of imprisonment. He explained that by line was prevented by the police from entering (cont. onp. 10) WOMEN ORGANIZING A(

Fourteen women - thirteen black and one white - have been murdered in Boston since January. All violence is an exercise in power. The further down you are on the economic and so- cial totem pole, the more society accepts the violence against you. Being black and female puts you at the bottom, both in the U.S. and in South Africa. The apartheid system in South Africa is based on the violent suppresssion of Black people. The murder and rape of Black women is an 'accepted' way of 'keeping all Africans in is bm\ even in their place.' In addition to this violence at the hands of white South Africans, all Black South Af- cpf/iomen: a journal of liberation ricans, but particularly Black South African women, suffer from abuse from local drunks, or "tsotsis," who have been dehumanized by Many people are disturbed by the quality of the repressive system. Because of the poverty, what little media coverage there has been en the deprivation of basic rights and the indif- the murders. Rather than emphasizing that the ference of the police, South Africa has one of streets aren't safe, the media tends to shift the the highest murder rates in the world. blame onto the victims. They accused two of "I feel that crime will always be a part ~f the the victims ef being prostitutes, and dug up a fabric of everyday life as long as there is pov- previous criminal record of another. This en- erty and as long as there is inferior education courages the myth that all women, particularly and as leng as there is unequal distribution of Black women, "ask for it." Even though it is as- wealth," wrote Byron J. Ricketts, father of the sumed that a "good girl" cannot get raped or first Boston victim, Christine R. Ricketts, to murdered, violence happens in every com- the Bay State Banner (March 29). munity. THE BOSTON MURDERS ~h;attitude, held by the police and the media, that the Black community accepts The recent murders in Boston have shown crime as a way ef life has got to be disspelled. that the situation of Black women in this coun- These cases represent only a small fraction of try is not so different from that of Black violence against women, in the Black com- women in Seuth Africa. The police have said munities and in lew-incsme areas. Rep. Me1 repeatedly that they don't think that the Bos- King (South End) told an April 28th rally on ton murders are related. Yet it is not coinci- the Bosten Commen that the murders of the dental that all fourteen victims were women, women and the city administration's attitude that thirteen were Black and that thirteen were toward them stems frem an atmosphere in killed in the Roxbury-Dorchester-Jamaica which vielence against wemen is common- Plain district. place and accepted. LGAINST VIOLENCE

A safe house network, where women carf go to designated houses when in danw on the Black and white wowhave jeined forces street, was organized block by block. This to codat tkrrising tide ~~tv&ncetitgainst us. green light program was started By the k- This is an imprtsnt sootition. Through the chester International Women's my Com- feminist rnewritclrt, GwiJasW qd~ncto acknew- mittee and the Roxbury Aliama Mo&m As- ledge our shared inter& adexpniences as sociated (RAMA) Day Care Center. The green women, to recognize that which unites us is light program has expanded to Jamaica Plain stronger than theforces that keep us apart. Ac- where they also have a phone chain in order to knowledging our very real cultural dzyerences respond to an emergency quickly. The Rox- and diSfcrences in educational andfinancial re- bury Multi-Service Center has also de- sources which result from growing up in a veloped a hotline to educate, inform and pro- racist, patriarchal society, white women are vide support for women who are victims of vio- providing support to our sisters in a time when lence. being a woman - particularly a Black or Community Programs Against Sexual As- Third World woman - in Boston is ex- sault (CPSA) has distributed thowands of tremely dangerous. (from a letter from the Sup- cards which preventive measures that women port group for Women's Safety) should take in the city. Transition House, Caw WOMEN FIGHT BACK Myrna Vasquez and Elizabeth Stone House serve as temporary shelters for women in crisis. Women are uniting to gain our rights to be The EnaEkstone Community School offers self- free of physical abuse and fear. We are de- defense classes. manding fundamental changes in men's at- THE LARGER STRUGGLE titudes towards us. We are organizing different ways to protect oursleves and to make the Even these special precautions for women streets safe. There is a growing awareness that will not lessen the impact that this violence has we can not rely on the police. Communities had on all women's mental and emotional have to start looking after themselves - not health. At community meetings, they discuss just during a crisis, but all the time. not only what they can do to protect them- Night marches, a women's freedom stride and selves, but also what can be done to stop men poetry readings have occurred in response to from attacking. This is not just a women's the murders. problem, but a problem of our whole society. Women, Inc., a residential drug program for Until racism, sexism, and poverty have been women and their chidren created the Coalition eliminated, women will continue to live in fear. for Women's Safety which serves as an in- Women have responded to the Boston mur- formation clearing house for all the groups ders at all levels -they have targeted both the working on the murders. Crisis, a group racist and sexist elements of U.S. society. formed after the death of the first two victims, In South Africa, violence against Black holds weekly meetings at the Harriet Tubman women is built into the apartheid power struc- House in the South End. Aswalos House in ture. The struggle for women's rights there, as Roxbury also has regular meetings to organize here, is a necessary part of the entire struggle against the system. against the murders. -CR WIn Hands LNS l CPF (Woman activist con f .) providing the technological means by which As from 1977 Polaroid claims that it is no the South African government could im- longer dealing in South Africa. Caroline ex- plement the passbook system, Polaroid was presses scepticism on this count, since Pola- directly participating in the oppression of roid has on several occasions, announced its Black people there. withdrawal, only to be exposed again! Polaroid first denied, and then had to admit, to its involvement. It then tried to obscure the AFTER POLAROID issue of its supplying the means of making pass- Her experience with Polaroid drew Caroline books, by claiming that it could improve Con- into political activity and, since then, she has ditions for its Black workers in South Africa. been an outstanding activist against apartheid This "reform from within" approach tries to and U.S. involvement in South Africa, and convince the public here that the corporations against racism in the U.S. She was involved in in Sou&*Africarca~"likrake" the apartheid forming People Against National, Identity system. Black leaders in South Africa, how- Cards, which evolved out of her Polaroid ac- ever, insist that corporations can help them tivities. As a founding member of the Third only by withdrawing their investments from World Women's Organization, she was a lead- I the country. ing force in setting up, and is still active in, the DEVELOPING THE STRUGGLE Winnie Mandela S~lidarityCoalition. WMSC focuses on the plight of Black women in South TOprovide an organizational form for their ~f~i~~and their struggle against apartheid. activities Caroline and other Polaroid workers jobs, since being fired from Polaroid in formed Polaroid Workers. 1971, and her community involvement, further They called for an int~~nationalboycott of reflect her increased political commitment. Polaroid products. They distributed informa- she has worked in service programs for tion locally, nationally, and internationally, prisoners, organized and taught in drug educa- exposing the hypocrisy behind Polaroid's tion programs, and is on the Board of Dir- humanist image. ectors of Margaret Fuller House, a Cam- Particularly strong support came from the bridge-based community agency. Most re- Black community and Black organhtions. cently, she has taught in alternative corn- ' The Black United Front (since disbanded) re- mun~ty-based high sc.ools, including the 1 fused to use, for themselves, a grant from Pols- Group school in Cambridge where she is now roid. Instead, despite their own considerable fi- teaching. nancial needs, they sent the money to the UN For Caroline, her Polaroid activities were for the South African Liberation movements. only a beginning! In another example, Roxbury Multi-Service Center voted to return their grant from Pola- - Peig roid. Death of a Leader President Neto was imprisoned several times by the Portuguese for his revoleionary activi- ties. The following poem was written while he was in prisgn in 1960. WE MUST RETURN

To the hearses, to our craps to the beaches, to ourfields we must return To our lands red with coffee white with cotton green with maizefields we must return

To our mines ofdiamonds gold, copper, oil we must return

To our rivers, our lakes to the mountains, theforests we must return

To the coolness of the mulemba The members of the BCLSA wish to recognize to our traditions the passing of Dr. Agostinho Neto, President to the rhythms and bonfires of Angola. This great African revolutionary we must return leader and poet died of cancer on September 10. His life will remain an inspiration to all To the marimba and the quissange fighting against exploitation, oppression and to our carnival injustice everywhere. we must return

To our beautiful Angolan homeland our land, our mother BCLSA has organized a meeting to com- we must return memorate the life of Agostinho Neto on Oct. 12th at 7:30 P.M. at St. Mark's Church, 100 We must return Townsend St., Roxbury (near Boston Tech to liberated Angola High School). The informal program will in- independent Angola. clude poetry, music, and a brief presentation about President Neto's life and work. All Agostinho Neto people interested in learning about and hon- Aljube Prison in Lisbon, oring this great man are urged to attend. October 1960 STOP THE FIGHT Board ef Centrsl (SABBC), a government agency. Mike Mortimer, an official of SAB- Arum has announced a fight on October 20 BC, is currently head of the rankings com- between John Tate and Coetzee. According to mittee of the WBA. Since he took this office, the New York Times (July 7), Arum calls Coet- two white South African heavyweights, zee the "best white fighter" he has ever seen. Knoetze and Coetzee, have climbed to 2nd and NBC has agreed to cover this fight which will 5th in the WBA rankings. determine 's successor. NBCs - Boston affiliate, WBZ-TV, has refused to can- Black American boxers, controlled by cel the broadcast of the fight. Arum, have been pressured into fighting South Summing up the South African boxing con- Africans. Arum has arranged the so-called nection, ACCESS states that the only winner "title eliminators" between , John from this seedy series will be the South African Tate (2 Black Americans) and two white South regime. South Africa will have gained a rose- Africans, Knoetze and Coetzee. He purposely colored spotlight to showcase apartheid as selected one of the so-called African "home- they want the world to see it, not as it is for the lands" for the Tate-Knoetze fight. CBS cov- 20 million South African Blacks who are ered the fight and referred to this "homeland" forced to live - and die - under apartheid er Bantustan as "the independent nation of every day. Bophuthatswana" on TV, even theugh not a All sympathetic people in Boston are asked single nation outside South Africa recognizes to write to Sy Yanoff, General Manager of Bophuthatswana. The South African gevern- WBZ-TV, 1170 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, ment is willing to spend a lot of money to im- 02134, and to request that WBZ not carry the prove its public image. Bob Arum's willingness fight. to serve apartheid propaganda is making him a rich man. - Vukani Futhi THE VICTBRY OF THE NICARAGUAN PEOPLE

Patriotic Front was fgrmed ts unite all the op position forces in the final struggle against So- moza. The FSLN caned for a general strike and popular insurrection, which succeeded, at last, in defeating Somoza's National Guard. THE NEW GOVERNMENT The FSLN sekcted a broad-based pro- visional government, and all sections of the op- position held firm behind this five member junta, despite efforts by the U.S. to undermine it. The new government has dismantled the So- moza institutions, and nationalized Somoza property and banks. A new army was created, Last July the people af Nicaragua poured and civil defense committees are being set up to into the streets to welcome their new pro- involve the people in defense and recon- visional government. The dictator Anastosio struction. Somoza had finally left the country, forced out DEFEAT FOR U.S. IMPERIALISM by popular resistance. U.S. plans for intervention through an Or- SOMOZAS - MADE IN U.S. ganization of American States "peace-keeping The Somoza family had ruled' Nicaragua force" were blocked by the refusal of the OAS since the 1930's. They were installed in power to co-operate. Popular support for the FSLN by the U.S., which had occupied the country had been openly expressed in many Latin and created the National Guard to guarantee American countries, and their governments U.S. interests. The Somoza family regarded could not risk going against that feeling. Nicaragua as their private estate. Through There are some interesting parallels between their control of the government they took over the Nicaraguan and South African struggles. the country's ecanomy, piling up a fortune of In both cases, the U.S. sold arms to the govern- $500 million. Meanwhile the majority of Nica- ments until popular pressure forced them to raguans lived in dire poverty, and repression end this. In both cases, with U.S. collusion, was severe. Israel took over supplying the arms. In Ni- THE RESISTANCE caragua there were, and in Southern Africa The Sandinista Front for National Libera- there have knn many layers of political tion (FSLN) was formed in 1961 to overthrow struggle - most decisively armed struggle, but the Someza regime through armed struggle. also strikes, boycotts, demonstrations, all of They built up a support network through ties which involve massive numbers of people. The with the labor movement, student organiza- Nicaraguan people have shown the vul- tions, indigenous 'communities, urban slum nerability of U.S.-backed repressive regimes. dwellers, and priests. They made alliances with In Nicaragua, deep hatred of the dictator members of the beurgeoisie who opposed So- united all classes. In South Africa, deep hatred moza, forming a united front organization. of white minority rule unites the great majority Guerilla actions, combined with strikes and of the people. Botha and company will go the boycotts, against the regime led to U.S. spon- way of Somoza. sored negotiations. These failed. The National -Minu Reddy APARTHEID AND THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Cambridge voters will have an opporunity to take a stand against South Africa's system of apartheid in the upcoming city elections this November. One of the referendum questions on the ballot asks, 'Shall the City of Cam- bridge refrain from investing public monies in banks and other financial institutions doing business in or with the Republic of South Af- rica?'' These monies take the form of pension funds and general fuqds for city expenditures. NEPA News/cpf The exaot dollar figure of Cambridge's South African connection is not yet known. What is known, though, is that city funds are diverted to support apartheid when they could be in- vested in jobs and housing for citizens of Cam- BCLSA UPDATE bridge. BCLSA has joined a Cambridge coalition WILLIE SANDERS MARCH organized to educate the public about what apartheid is, hew investment decisions by the On Saturday, August 18, 250 dem- city support it, and why a "ydvote on the ref- onstrators, black and white, marcheel from the erendum question can help the struggle for Harriet Tubman House through Roxbury to , freedom in South Africa. Since the refertndum the Roxbury Boys Club. The march was in sup- is non-binding, it is important that every Cam- port of Willie Sanders, a Bhck man who has bridge resident vote "yes* on the question. This been framed for a series of rapes that cmcurred would put pressure on the City Council to act in Brighton last winter. The BCLSA endorsed on the issue. the march. Ten of its members marched behind Many Cambridge organizations, which a banner which said, "Fi@t, from Bos- have never dealt with issues like apartheid, will ton to South Africa. Free Wcrs." be approached on taking up the campaign. The Speakers at the rally held sitter the march in- coalition will contact church gmups, nei&hbor- hood association%mimritp -led - tions, union locab, and tenant pups. BGLSA especially urges eur n%.wsletkrreaders in Cam- bridge not only to vote "yes* on tkreferen- dum question, but also to stfriends, co- workers and relatives ts $0 the same. Tkc d& line for registering to vote is Oct. 17; the eb fighting both ra&m dm,,w& sari- tions are Nov. 6. ders gods on trial in &ob. 15 FALL ACTIVITIES city funds from companies and banks doing BCLSA has decided that its major focus this business in South Africa, and the campaign to Fall will be a combined educational and ma- stop the -John Tate boxing terial support pregram for the liberation match scheduled to take place Qct. 2Q and to struggle in Zimbabwe. A slide or film show and be aired locally by Channel 4, WBZ. (See ar- a leaflet will soon be available for use in out- tide in this newsletter for details). reach work to union groups, churches, Ifwu are interested in workkg with BC- schools, community arganizatisns, rtc. Any- LSA call one interested in qrru#ng such a program thead8-p. should call the prsgula aoordinator, Melinda DATES T8REMEMBER In additin to the work an Zimbabwe, the Oct. f2*, Agostinho Net. Memorial, St. coalition laas appointed committees to work Mark's Church, 100 Tewnsend St., Roxbury. on two short-term projects: the upcoming ref- Oct. 17th, last day for Cambridge residents to erendum in 'Cambridge on the divestment of register te vote for the caming elaction.

PLEASE HELP WHO WE ARE We need money. We need funds-to publish BCLSA is a coalition of organizations and this newsletter; to organize and conduct teach- individuals dedicated to the fight against econ- ins and film shows on Southern Africa; to omic exploitation and political repression, keep abreast of events in Southern Africa; to particularly in the U.S. and Southern Africa. challenge the exploitative, racist, or sexist ac- The function of our newsletter is to (I) pub- tivities of American corporations at home and lish news about Southern African liberation abroad; to expose U.S. governmental col- support activities in the Boston area, (2) in- laboration with the terrorist minority regime form our readers of events and issues in in Southern Africa; to discredit South Africa's Southern Africa, and (3) explain basic con- multimilliondollar propaganda machinery- cepts relevant to these issues. We would ap- we really need your assistance. We ask that preciate any questions, comments, or sug- you pledge yourself to at least $1.00 per gestions that you may have. month, and more if you can, to support our work. h 1 BCLSA Box 8791 Boston, Mass. 021 14 I pledge a monthly donation of: $1, -$5, -$EVEN MORE to help the Boston Coalition for the Liberation of Southern Africa. Name:

Addrebs: SPECIAL FOCUS ON WOMEN

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