NATIONAL NEWS NUM News March 1989 Page 19

Kidnapped Harry Gwala honoured ANC man for his life of struaale gets 20 years jail What was your first The nature of ihc battles with encounter with political Harry Gwala, recently released from the white settlers had a cla&s character. Later on when ihc after serving various jail t VETERAN ANC member, Is­ organisations? country developed industrially, mail Ehrahim was early this terms totalling 18 years for his people moved into towns and got I W4s exposed lo Party Litcra* month sentenced lo 20 years im- employed as factory and com­ lure .*ni! the Guardian anti- activities has been prisonment. mercial workers* Newspaper while I was teaching. awarded the ANC's highest honour, Ebrahim, who served 15 years A friend invited mc 10 a local Pass laws followed than into Isithwalandwe/Seaparankoe. OH Robben Island after convic­ Party meeting in town. After thai ihe urban area* and living Condi- tion for sabotage in 19*4 became meeting I joined the Party. In The award was made to him by ANC lions were bad for them a.\ well- the victim of abduction, torture 19421 joined the ANC Passes were for the purpusc of and trumped up charges before I left teaching in 1944 tOJOifl the president , on the 77th exploitation of the worker* bt> being sent to Robben Island for Distributive Workers Union and anniversary of the movement. cause they were meant to tic them the second time. to their industrial master and later the Chemical Workers Harry Gwala joins other recipients like Agents of apartheid followed Union. I was the organising regulate their movement in favour of the basses. This hring\ him and forcefully brought him secretary for the two unions. , Chief Albert Luthull, us close to the relationship IH> back from Swaziland to South What was it like being Yusuf Dadoo, and all the iwccn the class struggle and the Africa and ultimately Robben Is­ Rivonia trialists still in prison. National Democratic SIrugglc. land Prison. a member of the "My abduction was followed by Communist Party NUM News presents some of the The most burning issue facing police torture to the point where the people of is ihc before it was banned? views of a remarkable man. I nearly lost my mind, he said eradication of racism and crea­ adressing the court before he was To be a member of the Party, tion of a National Democratic sentenced. My two co-accused one had to be a worker, accept State. were also brutally tortured. the constitution and program of In South Africa it is difficult to the party, pay party dues and play He and fellow co-trialists draw a line between class ex­ Mandla Maseko and Simon an active role in the activities of ploitation and national oppres­ the party. Madlala refused to testify during sion. The workers will always the 16 month trial due to alleged The Parly was not dominated fight this struggle as one and not collusion between the judiciary by educated people. There were dividing them into entities. and the security police. people like Nkosi * a peasant from Newcastle countryside. How Is the term The banning of the ANC was a "direct assault to all freedom- He worked in Johannesburg as 'people" related to the lining people in the country be­ a domestic servant. From that working class? cause the ANC expressed the humble rank of farmboy emerged hope and aspirations, not only of a Ctfmmum In S.A when we talk about the African majority, but of all "people* we mean all those who Tell us about the Party the democratic forces in the are actively involved in the strug­ count ry\ school and Its gle against apartheid. They may syllabus? be business people or workers The use of revolutionary without any property at all. The violence was "a painful necessity, The main school * the totality of these people engaged not something I welcome for its Mayibuyc school - was in Fox in the struggle to overthrow own sake". I know it would lead Street, Johannesburg. In Dur­ apartheid constitutes 'the to suffering of the enemy as well ban, Cape Town and Pretoria, people'- They belong to different as the oppressed people/ Party centres there organised classes not one class. 'But there was no way out- One (heir own night schools. hated the racist system and knew How the Freedom il was violent and found oneself These schools produced party Charter Is related to Icadcrrs such as Kotanc, Nkos forced to use force, sedition and Mabhtda and others. People the national criminal murder. were taught political education democratic struggle? Apartheid was a crime, he and general literacy skills. said We sit in this court because When the Charter says the In English lessons for instance, wc dared to rise against this "people shall govern", this crime. For black people, life people would be taught such reminds us that they can only words as pass and police, how t he govern if they have real power, under apartheid is that of pass was related lo the police, HARRY GWALA: -Th» working class must unite oppressed' and this happens when the means humiliation, degradation and ab­ and the arrests and raids con­ of production have been trans­ ject poverty." ducted by police. ferred to the ownership of the "In the courts of the people of Most trade union organisers This class is the main force of people. the world, the apartheid system What was the were in tho&c days, party mem* any liberation movement. In of national oppression, racial aftermath of the bcrs. Trade Unions however, The Charter further says "the tyranny, injustice, repression and South Africa the majority of the people shall share in the banning of the Party? were independent. people are working masses * you war have already been judged country's wealth". The achieve­ guilty, having solemnly and by The Party organised members hardly find the bourgeoisie ment of the national democratic After the banning of the Com­ formal international convention, of trade unions by distributing among black people. struggle is not an end, but a step munist Party of South Africa in been categorised as a crime party literature and by calling leading to a government where 1950, it regrouped after a year or against humanity. mass meetings in some open exploitation of man by man will two and called itself the SACP. places* How do you IK a thing of the past* "This experience obliges us to which was underground- I was understand the conclude that the regime which recmited into the underground How would you relationship between Will the release of have ruled our country for over SACP until my arrest for MK ac­ describe the role of the 40 years now, have, as a matter of tivities national and class Nelson Mandela bring working class in the policy, based themselves outside struggle? freedom? the parameters of such human What was the struggle? thought and activity as can be In a country like South Africa relationship between The highly politicised people of considered moral, humane and The working class must you God that, first and foremost, S.A can never expect that the just/ the party and trade develop and preserve unity although sve have tribes and :i lot release of Comrade Mandela will unions? among the oppressed people. of disunity, these tribes were al­ mean Freedom. Comrade Man* *To throw off such govern* The working class must projee* ready defending their land from dcla, like Chief Luthuli. is a sym­ mcnls, as wc must surely try, is to The Party encouraged iU mem­ Ihc national struggle as the first the white people who came to bol of the intensification and stand on the side of morality, bers to join the trade unions. stage in their own class struggle. South Africa. unity of our people. human decency and justice."