TH£ USWA faces hard strike at Wheeling-Pitt 3 New boo~,{ on women's exploitation 12 WW II: Why U.S. and Japan went to war 16 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHEil IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 49/NO. 32 AUGUST 16, 1985 75 CENTS Nicaraguans organ1ze• South African racists to defeat stage treason frame-up contras BY FRED FELDMAN BY BILL GRETTER Sixteen opponents of apartheid were MANAGUA. Nicaragua - Nicaragua placed on trial in Pietermaritzburg. South is a country at war. It is fighting an army of Africa. on charges of treason. If convicted, mercenaries - known as the conrras - · they could face death sentences. who are armed. organized and financed by The 16 are leaders of the United Demo­ the U.S. government. cratic Front (UDF), an anti-apartheid coali­ tion of 600 community organizations, The people of Nicaragua. led by their unions. women's groups. student organiza­ work'ers' and peasants' government. are tions, and others. It has a membership of organizing both to confront the ongoing at­ about 2 million. tacks by the contras and to prepare for the The UDF has been an organizer of many possibility of a direct military assault by ·bQYcotts, massive funeral processions for U.S . troops in the future. They are confi­ victims of apartheid, and other protests. dent they can defeat both. The 16 are charged with forming an al­ Big blows dealt to contras liance with the outlawed African National Congress, which has wide sympathy and The Nicaraguans opened a major offen­ sive against the mercenaries at the begin­ support in the Black townships and reser­ vations. Twenty-two other leaders of the ning of this year. Brigadier Commander Hugo Torres told reporters July 18 that in UDF face treason charges as well. the first six months of 1985, 2,300 contras Those on trial include Archie Gumede and Albertina Sisulu, the UDF joint presi­ had been killed. dents. The trial opened August 5. The .contras infiltrate Nicaragua from· Albertina Sisulu is the wife of Walter Government troops move to attack Capetown protest against racist apartheid system base camps across the borders in Honduras Sisulu , who with Nelson Mandela was con­ and Costa Rica. Commander Torres esti­ victed of treason 21 years ago. These two mates that there are now 9.000 of these of Mineworkers, an all-Black union repre­ Africa's foreign earnings. The country is African National Congress leaders are still mercenaries, 3,000 presently in Nicaragua. senting workers in South Africa's most im­ the world's leading gold producer and in prison. The largest of the mercenary gr~>Up s is portant industry. After a meeting of 450 some 400,000 Blacks are employed in gold the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN), The opening of the trial followed the Au­ voting union delegates, general secretary mmes. based in Honduras. The FDN commanders gust I murder of Victoria Mxenge, a leader Cyril Ramaphosa set an August 25 strike Ramaphosa said the union would also are former members of the hated National of the UDF and defense attorney for the 16. date if the demand for a 22 percent wage strike if the apartheid regime went ahead Guard of Anastasio Somoza, the dictator Anti-apartheid fighters in South Africa are incre.ase is not negotiated. The union also with threats to expel migrant workers to who ruled Nicaragua until he was over­ convinced that she was the victim of gov­ wants an end to wage differentials and job other African countries. The regime has thrown in 1979. Most of the FDN chiefs ernment-backed death squads, which are discrimination in the mines. said it would carry out these deportations if are known and despised within Nicaragua increasingly active. White mine workers currently receive at economic sanctions are imposed on South for their atrocities against the people during The trial of the 16 is the latest move by least five times the pay of Blacks. This rep­ Africa. Ramaphosa said migrants from the Somoza tyranny. the apartheid regime in its effort to intimi­ resents a major gain for Blacks from the other parts of Africa make up 40 percent of The FDN has nine "regional com­ date and brutalize opponents of the racist 20-to-1 ratios that were common before the NUM members . (See article on page II.) mands," each m~de up of two to four "task system. As of August 6 the government has Black union was formed. He also said that the NUM would initiate forces." A task force, at full strength, has imprisoned-according to its own figures Union officials predicted that at least boycotts of white-owned businesses in 300 men. - more than I ,400 people and 24 have ~;a lf the country's 550,000 miners would mining towns unless the regime li fts the The FDN regional commands are con­ been killed since the state of emergency honor a strike call , and said it would affect state of emergency decree. Effecti ve centrated in the mountainous north-central was proclaimed for 36 urban areas July 20. 70 percent of gold mines and 20 percent of boycotts. strongly supported by the Black part of Nicaragua: Region I (Nueva The government 's repression has drawn coal mines. auto workers union, are still under way in Continued on Page 5 a sharp response from the National Union Gold exports account for half of Sou.th cities in the eastern Cape Province. The apartheid regime and the mine own­ ers have struck hard at the NUM over the past year. Seven miners we re killed and at Congress offers no relief to farmers least 400 were injured during a walkout by 64.000 miners in September 1984. House and Senate subcommittees have price level at which the government would not rescue farmers who have fallen deer Another died during a strike in April , been haggling all summer over the contents offer support loans and otlrer assistance to into debt," the Monitor predicted . which ended when two mining companies of the 1985 Farm· Bill to be presented to farmers, the administration hoped to lower A recent Agricultural Department study fired 15,000 miners. Congress for a vote this fall .· The 1981 the prevailing market price of U.S. farm shows that 45 percent of price support and On August 3 more than 2,000 Black Farm Bill expires October 1 . exports. · other payments last year went to 12 percent mourners in Zwidc. South Africa, defied a Every four years Washington lawmakers The proposal called for phasing out gov­ of all farmers with sales above $100.000. ban on outdoor funeral services. Despite go through this ritual of attempting to piece ernment payments to farmers and reducing The proposed payments in the new bill the threatening presence of soldiers and together legislation incorporating a wide funds for credit," soil conservation, and would also give the lion's share of benefit s cops in armored vehicles wielding automa­ range of agricultural interests. For weeks rural electrification. These measures, Ag­ to the best-off farmers, not those most in tic rifles. shotguns. und whips. they buried riculture Department officials conceded, need. II young victim ~ of the apartheid regime . would mean less income for farmers per Continued on Page 22 Continued on Page lJ unit of each crop sold. thus forcing EDITORIAL thousands of farmers·off the land. Reagan · supporters never had much they juggle formulas for lowering com­ chance of getting thei r full program Cuba hosts broad conference modity price supports and the amount of through Congress. But it has strengthened land that should be taken out of production. their position in the horsetrading going on Well-heeled lobbyists, representing dairy in the Congressional agriculture commit­ on Third World foreign ~ebt processors, grain merchants, meat packers, tees that are preparing the new farm bill . and other big profiteers in the food indus­ According to a report in the July 24 BY MARY-ALICE WATERS The fi ve-day meeting ended here in the try, stalk the Capitol's halls buttonholing Christian Science Monitor, the com­ HAVANA - .. We are waging a struggle earl y morning hours of Augu~t 4. More legislators in order to influence the final promise shaping up "will probably restrain for national liberation,'' declared Cuban than 1.200 delegates we re present from 3 I package. federal spending, which has risen to the President Fidel Castro in his closi ng speech countries of the Cari bbean and Latin Amer­ In this entire process, however, one highest level in history during the last four here to the Meeting on the Foreign Debt of ica. The political breadth of the partici­ voice is not listened to - the voice of years. But with thousands of farmers on the Latin America and the Caribbeun. We are pants and the character of the democratic . working farmers. The views of men and financial ropes, almost no one involved ex­ not waiting for the masses to develop a discussion were unprecedented. No one women who till the soil and tend livestock, pects drastic cutbacks." socialist consciousness, he said. Latin could remember anything even remotely producing a big share of the country's food The basic price support policies of the Arnericu must lead ·the fight today for the similar held anytime. anywhere in th1 and fiber. are not considered. It should 198 1 Farm Bill will be retai ned , but the independence and sovereignty of the hemisphere. come as no. surprise then that the new bill, price levels at which government loans and peoples of the entire Third World. "We Among the delegate~ were more than as it is currently shaping up, will not serve payments are offered will be reduced.