DOCUMENT RESUME ED 396 127 CE 071 845 AUTHOR Mackenzie, Liz, Ed. TITLE Facing the Challenges of the 1990s. Organising for Democracy in the Western Cape. Conference Proceedings (Bellville, South Africa, November 17-19, 1989). INSTITUTION University of the Western Cape, Bellville (South Africa). Centre for Adult and Continuing Education. REPORT NO ISBN-1-86808-043-9 PUB DATE Nov 89 NOTE 86p.; Co-hosted by the Centre for Development Studies, University of the Western Cape. AVAILABLE FROMCentre for Adult -2nd Continuing Education, University of the Western Cape, Private Bai X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa. PUB TYPE Collected Works Conference Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adult Education; Adult Literacy; Black Education; Blacks; Citizen Participation; Citizenship Education; Community Development; Community Organizations; Computers; Conferences; Cultural Awareness; Cultural Education; *Democracy; Demography; Ecology; Economic Development; *Educational Needs; Educational Strategies; Educational Trends; Foreign Countries; Health Promotion; Literacy Education; *Political Socialization; Poverty; *Public Affairs Education; *Role of Education; *Strategic Planning; Welfare Services IDENTIFIERS African National Congress; Popular Education; *South Africa (Western Cape) ABSTRACT This document contains selected papers and findings of a conference that was held at South Africa's University of the Western Cape to discuss strategies to organize for democracy in the Western Cape. Presented in section 1 are the opening remarks of Bulelani Ncguka, Jakes Gerwel, Shirley Walters and the following papersi "South Africa from the 1980s into the 1990s: Organising for Democracy" (Murphy Morobe) ;"Overview of the Western Cape" (Graeme Bloch); "Summary of Report-Backs from Theme Workshops" (Trevor Manuel); "State Strategy" (Andrew Merrifield); "Negotiations" (Tony Karon); "City Politics: Soweto" (Kehla Shubane); "Constitutional Guidelines" (Willie Hofmeyer); and "Labour and Economic Alternatives" (Howard Gabriels). Section 2 contains summaries of the 19 conference theme workshops, which dealt with such topics as the following: Western Cape economy; health concerns; uprooting poverty in the Western Cape; challenges in the educational sphere; welfare in transition; the cultural movement and recent demographic changes in the Western Cape; relationship between the political economy and ecology; squatter and housing struggles; AIDS; worker-controlled cooperatives; adult education; literacy for democracy; mission of the church; and computers for transformation. Outlined in section 3 is a method for getting people actively involved in the political process. Appended are the African National Congress' constitutional guidelines. (MN) Facing the challenges of the 1990s Organising for democracy in the Western Cape U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 0.1CP 1), Fr,, rieseach .0N11,;:acer,1 ED,UCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS CENTER (ERIC) MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CA Tilts document has been reproduced at, e,ceived trorn the person or organvahon voginating Mcnor changes have been mape to mprove reproduchon qual.ty Punts of sieve or opinions stated in this (h)COMPnt at, 101 nncr_,Saf.ly ,pplusenl TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES utliclai OERI oosOon ri policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) BEST COPY AVAILABLE Li CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS CACE 2 CDS University of The Western Cape November 1989 4A-ig&AALA416.1.416 Centre for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) CACE is involved in building and strengthening adult education for a non- racist, non-sexist, democratic society. It IItrains adult educators provides resources for adult and com- munity educators supports research holds workshops publishes materials and books. CACE is based at the University of the Western Cape. Centre for Development Studies (CDS) The CDS is a national body doing and promoting research on future policy options for South Africa. Established with close links to the Mass Democratic Movement, it encourages a re- search process that is accountable to com- munity organisations. The research is divided into study commissions on health IN land and ecology N education ISBN 1-86808-043-9 II planning in local government II women Copies can be ordered from CACE, University INlegal and constitutional issues of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville II the economy 7535, South Africa. N culture. The CDS is based at the University of the Acknowledgements Western Cape, with offices in other regions. Edited and produced by Liz Mackenzieat CACE With thanks to the conference planningteam: The University of the Western David Abrahanis, Joe Samuels and Zelda Cape Groener. Thanks also to Shirley Walters. UWC is absolutely committed to the post- apartheid ideal in its teaching, research and Thanks to Alan Knight for assistance with service activities. It receives the least finan- design. cial assistance of any South African univer- sity from the state, yet has the highest growth Layout: Tim James. rate and a student population on a par with other universities. Photographs: Angus McLeod. Printed by UWC Printing Department. A conference called Facing the Challenges of the 1990$: Organising for Democracy in the Western Cape was hosted jointly by theCentre for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) and the Centre for Development Studies (CDS). It was held at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) from 17 19 November 1989. This publication documents the conference. ,11 CONTENTS Introduction 5 SECTION 1: CONTENT L1 Conference speeches 9 Opening and Welcome 11 Keynote Address: South Africa from the 1980s into the 1990s: Organising for Democracy 15 Overview of the Western Cape 21 Summary of Report-backs from Theme Workshops 29 1.2 PANEL: Preparing to Govern 35 State Strategy 36 Negotiations 40 City Politics: Soweto 44 Constitutional Guidelines 49 Labour and Economic Alternatives 52 SECTION 2: PROCESS 55 Theme workshops SECTION 3: METHOD 77 Active Participation Appendix 1 82 Nor dr, .r- -.0.44011100" I '1414111111711111100044,47.41P Murphy Morobe and Omar Badsha reflect on the proceedings V Trevor Manuel (left) and Jakes Gerwel (right) talk to conferenceparticipants 4 '1E7 (1Y AVAILABLE CACE CDS INTRODUCTION The conference was seenas a way of creating a space for organisations in opposition to the government to consider their options for the 1990s. This was to be done by collectively evaluating their work in the context of the WesternCape, South Africa during the 1980s, and projecting potential scenarios into the future. THE CONTEXT In the repressive context of the 80ssome gains had been made in the latter part of the decadeby organisations working for a liberated South Africa. However, in November 1989 the atmospherewas still oppressive. The apartheid laws enforcing mass discrimination and exploitation, and the State of Emergency, were still in place. Theleaders of the majority of the country's populationwere still being killed or detained, or they remained behind bars. And the majority of people still couldnot vote or.live where they chose. But against this,some gains had been made in the latterpart of the 80s. The months preceeding the CACE/CDScon- ference had seen a massive defiance campaignin which all the discriminatory laws in SouthAfrica came under severe attack. Mass organisations broke through the psychological barriers offear imposed by the_ State of Emergency andbegan disregarding some of the harsh restrictionslaid down since June 1986. The emergence of the Mass DemocraticMove- ment (MDM) as a major national alliance and the concrete actions of the Mass Defiance Campaign proved the futility of theemergency regulations. The hunger strike by political prisoners, thebreak- ing of their banning orders by restrictedactivists, the beach and hospital defiance campaignsall helped to break the back of theemergency. So too did the unbanning of organisations, likethe UDF, by the organisations themselves. Louder, increasing demands for the unbanningof the ANC, PAC and other organisationsand for the release of their leaders brought furtherpressure on the state. At the same time internationalpressure, sanctions and an increasingly shakyeconomy were further forcing the hand of the apartheid government. Added to all these ingredients, was achange of THE EVENT president in September 1989, from PW Botha to About 250 representatives from90 organisations the less rigid, less authoritarian FW De Klerk. in the Western Cape participatedin the three day conference. It was held at theUniversity of the BACKGROUND Western Cape on 17, 18 and 19November 1989. Within this arena the Centre forAdult and Continuing Education (CACE) and theCentre The aims for Development Studies (CDS)jointly hosted The stated aims were to shareinformation and a conference. resources, reflect onthe trends of the 80s and look at challenges fororganisations projecting a post- Why was the conferenceheld? apartheid society into the 1990s. It was hoped that we could poolinformation, un- derstandings and resources and hold acollective It also aimed to challenge theconference norm of large- evaluation of the decade we had comethrough. We simply having "experts" reading papers to a aim was to open up hoped also to lay the ground for takinghold of the ly passive audience. Another challenges of the next one. new questions forresearch. In 1989 many people in organisationsexpressed The conference as a their need to gain a deeper understandingof the participatory event Western Cape as a rapidly changingsocio- It was organised