South Africa Update

The extensive news black-out currently in effect in South Africa has made it difficult for those of us outside of the country to keep abreast of events inside. What we have managed to discover, however, is likely to be only the tip of the iceburg in terms of the extent of government violence and repression. At the same time, despite the reluctance of Western countries to impose stringent sanctions against Pretoria, the people of South Africa seem more determined than ever to defeat the savage system of Apartheid.

Rent strikes are widespread in South Africa's black townships as a form of protest against government policies since the government is the principal landlord in these areas. Such protest strategies have been quite effective and costly. Therefore police have begun to crack down on rent strikers with unannounced and often violent evictions of entire families. When hundreds of residents in Soweto helped to resist one such eviction the police turned their guns on the unarmed crowd killing several people. At a mass funeral for the victims several days later, mourners were harassed, beaten and teargassed by the police who insisted that they disperse. Similar incidents have been repeated throughout the country since June.

In addition, the Detainees parents Support Committee reports that at least 8,000 persons: students, ministers, nuns and trade union leaders from ages 8 to 80 have been detained since the most recent State of Emergency was instituted in June. Hundreds of people are on trial in various parts of the country for their opposition to Apartheid. Most recently three young men, alleged supporters of the African National Congress, were hung by the Pretoria regime. These were the first such hangings since the legal murder of poet and activist Benjamin Moloise last fall. Overall, more than 1500 have been killed unceremoniously in the streets, back alleys and prison cells of South Africa since last year. In its desperate attempts to suppress all government opposition, black, so-called vigilantes have been employed to divide and intimidate black anti-apartheid activists. This strategy has had its most devestating effect in the Crossroads squatter camp near Capetown where 30,000 of the 100,000 residents have been left homeless by the fighting. Sections of the media have tried to represent this situation as evidence of widespread disunity among South African blacks. However, a paper recently smuggled out of Crossroads, written by a group of religious leaders working there, documents how the South African police actively encouraged, financed, and fueled much of the violence. Some government complicity was less subtle. When so-called vigilantes would burn a family's home, within 24 hours the government would erect a barbed wire fence around the lot and offer the family bus tickets to relocate to a rural and desolate "homeland." These callous policies are carried out by a regime which President Reagan has described as "a great friend of the West," led by a tyrant, P. W. Botha, who Reagan described in July as a "very sincere man."

Despite the refusal of western leaders like Reagan and Thatcher to take forceful action against black South Africa, the people remain determined and undaunted. Efforts to combat Apartheid from within have been widespread and diverse. Activists have employed numerous tactics and are fighting on many fronts. Young people, in particular, have been in the forefront of the struggle for freedom in South Africa. In August, more than 30,000 students participated in school boycotts against the State of Emergency and police intrusions into the school grounds. Students in Soweto, Alexandra and Sobantu burned their newly-issued identification cards as yet another act of protest and defiance. In townships throughout the country adults are demonstrating similar defiance by engaging in rent strikes. Rent boycotts in 38 townships have involved over 300,000 households and has cost the government significant revenue. Workers actions have been widespread as well. On june 16th, the tenth anniversary of the Soweto uprising, 90% of South Africa's black workforce participated in a one-day general strike. Subsequently, there have been a series of work stoppages and short strikes at several South African diamond and gold mines. In fact, the National Automobile and Allied Workers Union is threatening to take a strike action against General Motors for refusing to grant full pay to detained employees. Finally, 601 detainees at Modderbee prison began a hunger strike on August 14th to protest their incarceration and the State of Emergency.

In sum, South Africa's civil war continues and the death toll continues to rise. At the same time our own government persists in its policy of collaboration with the Apartheid regime. In fact, Reagan is so committed to his racist policy of constructive engagement that he is prepared to punish those who dare to criticize it in the international arena, especially when that critic happens to be a poor, black-led Third World nation. (The U.S. recently withdrew a promise of $33 million in humanitarian aid to the struggling nation of Zimbabwe because one of the country's officials criticized "constructive engagement") This action reflects not only the Reagan administration's committment to its current policy toward South Africa, but also its refusal to respect the autonomy and independence of Third World countries such as Nicaragua and Zimbabwe. This reality makes it imperative that we build an even bigger and stronger anti-Apartheid and anti-racist movement in this country so that we can let the world know that Ronald Reagan, George Shultz and Chester Cracker do not speak for us and so that we can also make it increasingly difficult for these corrupt policies to be carried out in our names.