A HISTORY OF THE COMMITIEE ON SOUTH AFRICAN WAR RESISTANCE (COSAWR) (1978-1990) BRIAN F. COLLINS Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the M.A.University degree in History ofat the Cape University ofTown Cape Town. 1995 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Helen and the late Raymond Collins. I would like to thank my two supervisors. Firstly, Associate Professor Christopher C. Saunders and then Dr Patrick Harries who took over from Associate Professor Saunders after he went on sabbatical. Other people who helped along the way in various capacities, such as reading drafts, helping with constructive comments, or providing information are Carol Conerly, Roland Cox, Alan Crawford, Heine du Tait and Paul Eden. I would like to thank Lynn Botha for translating an Afrikaans article, as well as Dr M. Jakubowski and his daughter Magda for translating a series of Finnish newspaper clippings. Sources of funding which need to be acknowledged are the University Research Fund and the Harry Oppenheimer Institute of the University of Cape Town, the Mayibuye Centre at the University of the Western Cape and the South African Institute of Race Relations in Cape Town. iii Table of Contents Acronyms . vi ABSTRACT ................................................... xii INTRODUCTION AND NOTE ON SOURCES . 1 Chapter I THE BACKGROUND TO MILITARISATION, CONSCRIPTION AND RESISTANCE (1948- 1977) . 15 The Nationalists Come to Power . 15 Afrikanerisation of the Military . 16 The Introduction of Ballot Conscription - 1957 . 17 Background to Nine Month Compulsory Conscription: the 1960s . 21 Resurgence of Black Political Activity . 25 The 1970s . 27 Church Response To Conscription ............................. 29 NUSAS Suppressed . 32 Angola and Soweto - Two year conscription . 34 Chapter II THE ORIGINS OF COSAWR ....................................... 39 1976 - The first war resisters go overseas . 39 Dutch Policy Toward SA Asylum Seekers ........................ 40 1977 - The Kevin Laue and Lawrence Bartlett UK Asylum Case . 42 War Resistance Groups Before COSAWR . 50 The Formation of COSAWR .................................. 56 Chapter Ill COSAWR AND THE WAR RESISTANCE ISSUE . 63 The Debate Around COSAWR's Direction 1978-1979 . 63 COSAWR Addresses the War Resistance Issue . 65 South African War Resisters Outside the UK and Holland . 67 War Resistance Inside South Africa - 1979 . 69 The Peter Moll Campaign . 71 COSAWR Lobbies British Churches To Support COs ............... 74 1980-1983 The Formation of the ECG . 76 1985-1989 State of Emergency . 82 COSAWR'S Intervention in the War Resistance Debate . 88 The Decline of the War Resistance Movement . 95 Chapter IV THE EXILE EXPERIENCE OF COSAWR (UK) ........................... 99 The Arrival in London . 103 The Asylum Procedure . 104 The Settling in Process . 108 COSAWR's Politicisation Program . 114 iv Chapter V SURVEY OF COSAWR (NL) ..................................... 121 Dutch-South African Relations ............................... 122 The Origins of COSAWR (NL) ............................... 124 The Asylum Process in the Netherlands ....................... 127 The Exile Experience of COSAWR NL ......................... 130 The Dutch Nationals in the SADF Campaign .................... 135 The COSAWR/AABN Relationship ............................ 139 The Deterioration of Cosawr (NL) ............................ 143 The Coming Home Process ................................ 148 Chapter VI RESISTER 151 Rationale for Resister ..................................... 151 Resister's Sources ....................................... 152 Development of Resister ................................... 153 Distribution of Resister .................................... 154 Analysis of Resister ...................................... 156 Section I 1979-1982 Resister as a Propaganda Journal ............ 156 Section II 1983-1987 Resister as Resource/Information ............. 160 Section Ill 1988-1990 Resister's Focus on the Internal Scene ........ 161 Resister's Impact Internationally ............................. 163 Resister in the Camps .................................... 165 Resister's Impact within South Africa .......................... 166 Resister as an Authoritative Source ........................... 169 Chapter VII THE SOUTH AFRICAN STATE AND COSAWR 175 Motivation For Subverting Exile Organisations ................... 175 The South African Intelligence Community ...................... 176 The SADF and the pre-COSAWR War Resistance Movement ........ 179 The Campaign Against COSAWR ............................ 181 1980-82 The Identification of the War Resistance Threat by the Steyn and Rabie Commissions .................................. 186 Army Propaganda After the Steyn and Rabie Commission .......... 188 The Broederstroom Cell ................................... 190 The Carelse Affair ........................................ 195 Effect of Spying and Media Campaign on COSAWR .............. 197 CONCLUSION .............................................. 199 SECTION I ............................................. 199 The Huddleston International Register ..................... 199 Cosawr's Return to South Africa ......................... 200 SECTION II ............................................ 205 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 215 APPENDIX A . 231 V Acronyms AABN Dutch Anti-Apartheid Movement AAM Anti-Apartheid Movement AFSAC Advice for South African Conscripts ANC African National Congress ARM African Resistance Movement ARM Alliance of Radical Methodists ARMSCOR Armaments Development and Manufacturing Development Corporation of South Africa AWOL Absent Without Leave BOA Boycott Outspan Aktie BBC British Broadcasting Corporation BCM Black Consciousness Movement BOSS Bureau of State Security CF Citizen Force CIIR Catholic Institute for International Relations COD Congress of Democrats COs Conscientious Objectors COSAW Congress of South African Writers COSAWR Committee on South African War Resistance COSAWR (NL) COSAWR Netherlands COSAWR (UK) COSAWR United Kingdom COSG Conscientious Objector Support Group CP Communist Party CRAW Conscripts Resisting Apartheid War vi CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research CZA Comite Zuid Afrika DB Detention Barracks DONS Department of National Security DP Democratic Party ECC End Conscription Campaign EEC European Economic Community ELUs English Language Universities EPG Eminent Persons Group FLS Front Line States HIR Huddleston International Register of South African War Resisters HNP Herstigte Nasionale Party HQ Headquarters IDAF International Defence and Aid Fund IDASA Institute for a Democratic Alternative for South Africa IRA Irish Republican Army ITN Independent Television Network - London ISAK Isolate South Africa Kommitte (Sweden) IUEF International University Exchange Fund KGB Komit Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti (The Committee for State Security) KLM Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij or Royal Dutch Airlines KZA Komite Zuid-Afrika MCSA Methodist Church of South Africa MCW Military and Combat Work vii MEP Member of European Parliament Ml Military Intelligence MILCOM Committee of Investigation into Service in the SADF, Youth Preparedness Programmes and Alternative National Service MK Umkhonto we Sizwe MNR Mozambique National Resistance MP Member of Parliament MPLA Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola MWT Marxist Worker Tendency NCFS National Catholic Federation of Students NCO Noncommissioned Officer NEC National Executive Committee NEHAWU National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union NFA Natal Field Artillery NIS National Intelligence Service NP National Party NUSAS National Union of South African Students OAU Organisation of African Unity PAC Pan Africanist Congress PFP Progressive Federal Party PLO Palestine Liberation Organisation PMB Pietermaritzburg POW Prisoner of War RaRa Revolutionary Anti-Racism Action ADM Rand Daily Mail RSA Republic of South Africa viii SA South Africa SAANETS South African Army Non-Effective Troops Section SACC South African Council of Churches SACCC South African Community Cultural Centre SACP South African Communist Party SADF South African Defence Force SAIC South African Indian Council SALSCOM South African Liberation Support Committee SAMRAF South African Military Refugee Aid Fund SAP South African Police SASO South African Students Organisation SAWR South African War Resisters SAWRA South African War Resisters - Australia SADCC Southern African Development Coordination Conference SUGA Student Union for Christian Action SWAPO South West Africa People's Organisation SWATF South West Africa Territorial Force UCT University of Cape Town UDF Union Defence Force UDF United Democratic Front UKIAS United Kingdom Immigrant Advice Service UN United Nations UNITA National Union for the Total Independence of Angola UP United Party us United States ix USA United States of America WDM Dutch Soldiers' Union WN Association of Dutch Refugee Workers wee World Council of Churches WHO World Health Organisation ZADP Zuid Afrikanse Dienstweigeraars Project ZANU Zimbabwe African National Union ZAPU Zimbabwe African Peoples Union xi ABSTRACT Title A