Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 9. 1ts May 1973

[Introduction]

Boycott of S. Africa header

South African Congress of Trade Unions

The present system of Apartheid, which has been in operation for the last 23 years, has brought many restrictions, hardship and sufferings to the African and other non-white people in South Africa.

The policy of Apartheid has shown itself to be the most dishonest method of oppression of the non-white people. It is used by the whites when it suits them, and they disregard its existence when it suits them. The 23 years of the existence of this policy have left no doubt in our minds as to the reality of its aims. At the beginning you were asked by the racists through the United Nations Organisation, the ILO and other international organisations, to give it a chance, so that it could be proved by the racists to be a good policy to be applied to the South Africans. Time has proved that we were right in opposing this system.

We are today faced with strong propaganda which suggests that the system of Apartheid and discrimination is actually breaking down under the pressure created by economic growth. This propaganda is used by the supporters of Apartheid. It is used not only by those who reap big profits out of the misery and hardships of the black workers, but also by those who believe that higher wages, better conditions, and more profits can only be acheived by the perpetual enslavement of the blacks. They go on to say that it is only a matter of time before further growth will bring major changes in the system. They therefore unite with the South African Government and the industrialists in appealing for more investments, more emigration and exchange of sportsmen to South Africa.

This is an attractive argument. To some people apartheid means what the South African Government says it means—separate development of the races. Even if it means separate development on an unequal basis, this is not taken into account by such people.

Let us go beneath the surface and find out what Apartheid really means and what its aims are.