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South Africa a personal account

How has apartheid affected you personally?

You have to remember that apartheid affects every single person in South Africa personally and intimately from birth to the grave. And in this way the laws affected me, they laid out specifically the area in which I was permitted to live, the school and university that I was permitted to attend and so on. More particularly as my political involvement increased I was subjected more and more to the harrassment and intimidation that are all part of the apartheid structure in South Africa. This all culminated in my being banned under the Supression of Communism Act in 1973. This having involved a series of restrictions amongst others restriction to the Pietermaritzburg district for a period of 5 years.

Apartheid affects every single person in South Africa personally and intimately from birth to the grave.

I was prohibited from attending any gatherings of any sort. It prohibited me from communicating with more than one person at a time. I was prohibited from setting foot on the premises of any educational institution and on factors premises. I couldn't he quoted and in addition I was under house arrest. These are just a few of the restrictions.

What was the purpose of your return trip to Southern Africa last January?

The main purpose of my trip to Southern Africa was to attend the conference of the Southern Africa Students Movement of which I have been an executive member since the establishment of this regional student body in addition to attending the conference I also attended a meeting that had been tailed by people actively involved in the liberation struggle inside South Africa in order to discuss and evaluate the change in the political situation in Southern Africa and to plan strategies for the liberation of South Africa itself.

What is the present state of the Black organisations against apartheid?

What has happened is that there has been a tremendous amount of political organisation inside the country but because of the repressive nature of the whole apartherd system the organisation has not been evident.

In the past few years there has been an intensification of the repression.

What people normally expect when one talks of a liberation movement in a particular country is to read reports of bridges being blown up specific installations being sabotaged and so on. This has not happened in South Africa largely because of the repressive nature of the system but this does not mean that nothing is in fact happening outside the country.

In the past few years there has been an intensification of the repression, there has also been a corresponding increase in resistence to this repression For example, at a trial in Johannasberg eight people were facing charges under the Terrorism Act - a crowd of 2000 people converged on the court and when the South African police tried to disperse the crowd the people refused to move and a scuttle broke out between the people and the police Shortly after that a bomb exploited nearby and leaflets were distributed These leaflets were leaflets of the banned African National Congress.

In addition to that, there have been a tremendous number of strikes by black workers in South Africa, despite the fact that strikes by black workers are illegal In 1973 alone there were something like 261 strikes, in the second hall of 1974 there were approximately 135 strikes and the number of strikes continues unabated. At the end of March this year, for instance, a crowd of about six hundred blacks was attacked and beaten by police with batons and dogs as they peacefully dispersed after meeting outside a factory. One woman had an arm broken and several woman were taken to hospital. I am sighting these instances to show that the activity by black workers inside South Africa continues despite the brutality to which workers are generally subjected too.

The South African Human Rights Committee has reafirmed its total opposition to apartheid, to detente and to dummy institutions of the apartheid system. In its 1976 policy statement the committee says: "we aim to advance the peoples struggle for freedom; we stand for majority rule; we stand for a free society with no discrimination due to colour, class, belief or sex; we stand for the return of our political exiles; we stand for the abolition of detention without page 11 trial [unclear: fleeing] of detainees; the lifting of house arrest and [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: er] restrictions." It condemns the dummy [unclear: institutions] which it says the Vorster regime created to [unclear: sow] [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: nity] and confusion in the peoples minds. The s[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: ent] goes on: "we are refering to the Home [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: ment], the Coloured Representative Council, The South African Indian Council, the Urban Bantu Council [unclear: Advisory] boards and management committees." The [unclear: committees] bullet in includes speeches made by its Mohamed Timo[gap — reason: illegible] who is the father of Amid [unclear: a] was murdered by the South African Security Police [gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: 1971.]

Very [unclear: e] publicity is given in the [unclear: internationalness] to the struggle inside South Africa

T[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: shows] that there is a tremendous amount of [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: side] South Africa and one finds it necessary to [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: se] that although very little publicity is given in the [unclear: international] press to the struggle inside South Africa [unclear: continues] and the people have been [unclear: tremendously [gap — reason: illegible]ouraged] by the success of liberation [unclear: movement][gap — reason: illegible] neighbouring states, particularly Mozambique [gap — reason: illegible]Angola.

M[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: people] say that the Apartheid laws are slowly being [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: lised] to gradually give the blacks equality. Is the [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: y] reason why we in New Zealand should [unclear: interfere [gap — reason: illegible]is] is the case?

W[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: s] happened in recent months is that some of th[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: e] obvious discriminatory signs like the whites only [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: on]-whites only signs have been removed and black [gap — reason: illegible] been permitted to use certain facilities which [gap — reason: illegible] formerly been restricted or reserved for white [gap — reason: illegible]. This, however, has not really altered the [unclear: f] apartheid. The real problem in South Africa[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: t] racial discrimination, but political and economic[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: oppression]. The removal of the colour bar in cer[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: pheres] means absolutely nothing to the real issues [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: ved]. One should not be deceived by what the S[gap — reason: illegible] African terms the relaxing of the petty apart [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: estrictions].

The [unclear: problem] in South Africa is not racial discrimin[unclear: ation], but political and economic oppressio[unclear: n].

[unclear: The South] African government has stated that it is setting [gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: the] "Homelands" as a separate country where [unclear: Blacks] can live under their own government, surely [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: s] what the Blacks want?

I [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: completely] the whole Bantustan policy. I reject [unclear: letely] the fragmentation of the country. The i[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: behind] the Bantustan policy are deeply routine [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: the] history of colonialism in Southern Africa and [gap — reason: illegible] be understood in isolation from their colon[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: background]. Since the formation of the Union [gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: South] Africa in 1910 and more specifically since [gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: ative] Land Act, 1913, as modified by the Nativ[gap — reason: illegible]d and Trust Act in 1936. The distribution of the[gap — reason: illegible] as between whites and Africans has rema[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: asically] the same, with the white allocating to the [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: es] 80% of the land and containing Africans to the[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: ining] 13%. The areas which presently constitut[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: Bantu] lands are not single continuous pieces of lan[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: y] are something like 113 pieces scattered throu[gap — reason: illegible] the country. These are as absolutely incap[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: f] sustaining the people who will be forced to liv[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: nem], they are over-crowded, they have no eco[gap — reason: illegible] potential. In fact the only Bantustan which mine[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: wealth] is exploited by white South Africa. The c[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: export] from the Bantu lands will be the labor [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: ch] is required for the economy of white South Afri[unclear: ca]. These are just a few of the background detail [gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: he] Homelands policy. One needs also to [unclear: hat] the Bantustan policy has been rejected by the [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: ks] in South Africa ever since the idea was advan[gap — reason: illegible] [unclear: and] it continues to be rejected inside the count[gap — reason: illegible] the present day.

wh[gap — reason: illegible][unclear: gree] of inter-tribal friction is there in the Black apartheid movement in South Africa?

The [gap — reason: illegible][unclear: no] inter-tribal friction at all. The struggle of Black [unclear: a][gap — reason: illegible] the country has been one that transcends friction and this has a history dating back to 1912 when the African National Council was established. Because of the threat to the white power structure that was presented by these people the government found it necessary to divide the Black community up into managable units - hence the policy of separate development which seeks to split the Black community (divide and rule!).

Do you think the Black Nations of Africa would ever intervene in South Africa's internal affairs?

First one has to ask whether such intervention is "desirable and as far as the Black people of South Africa are concerned we are our own liberators.

South Africa is strongest military power so that if any group of Black African states contemplates any direct military intervention they will have to bear this in mind and because of the huge investments that Western powers have in South Africa it will always enjoy the support of these powers should any such intervention occur. The African States have always given material and moral support to the Liberation Movements and one can expect some of the neighbouring states to provide bases for the liberation movement from which to launch successful struggles against South Africa.

There are only a small number of whites who oppose apartheid because of the privileges whites derive from the system

Do the Blacks in South Africa have any support from the white South African political groups?

There are whites in South Africa working for social change. At present the Christian Institute, the National Union of South African Students and a recently formed multi-racial human rights commission are involved in the struggle against Apartheid. There are only a small number of whites who oppose apartheid because of the privileges they derive from the system. All people who oppose apartheid are intimidated and harrassed. Criticism of the government is termed treason and opposition to apartheid is termed communism.

What action do you think New Zealanders should take to help the Blacks struggle?

There are many ways in which New Zealanders can help the Blacks in their struggle against apartheid. One of ways is by cutting off all trade between New Zealand and South Africa - admittedly trade between the two countries is very small, amounting to $8 million a year.

But one would like to see such trade being cut off completely than find New Zealand extending the trade to an extent where NZ develops a vested interested in the maintenance of apartheid.

Another area where N.Z. can help is by cutting off sporting contacts with South Africa. Because of the history of British colonialism there is strong relationship between the two countries and this relationship has been cemented by the sporting exchanges that have taken place for over 50 years. New Zealand has become to be regarded as a natural ally by white South Africans. In response to the growing isolation by the sports community white South African sportsmen have pressurised the South African government to make certain changes which will be acceptable to the international community. In most of the codes of sport certain changes do fall short of those demanded by the international community. But in the code of rugby white South Africa has been extremely stubborn and this is because South Africa has enjoyed sporting competition with countries such as New Zealand, which is prepared to play with her despite the apartheid policies. The cancellation of the Springbok tour of New Zealand in 1973 gave the white South Africans a great shock and they couldn't believe that a country like New Zealand which they have always regarded as a 2nd home would cancel a major tour. This highlights the importance which South Africa attaches to her sporting contacts with New Zealand, and if New Zealanders do cut off their sporting contacts with South Africa then this would be in actual fact a tremendous boost to the morale of the Liberations groups in South Africa.

There are a few other ways NZ can help - by curtailing the large number of people who go to South Africa either as tourists or go to work in South Africa for short periods of time. All these efforts are concrete "ways in which New Zealand actually support the apartheid system in South Africa.

How important is stopping the proposed All Black Tour?

The Rugby tour planned for 1976 is of major significance to white South Africa. It comes at a time when South Africa is being isolated by the world. In response to international pressure, the white sportsmen would make changes in the sports community, but countries like New Zealand are still prepared to keep sporting relations with South Africa open.

Rugby is to the white South African, in general, and to the Afrikaaner in particular, a symbol of white supremacy.

Rugby is to the white South African, in general, and to the Afrikaaner in particular, a symbol of white supremacy. So if this tour goes ahead, it will be seen by South Africa as support for its racial policies. Hence the determination of the white South Africans to preserve rugby as their only domain at international level.

The stopping of the rugby tour will be a tremendous morale booster to those whites and Blacks struggling against apartheid in South Africa itself. It will be a forceful reminder to white South Africa that New Zealanders are no longer prepared to give comfort to apartheid.

How long do you think the South African government will last if it doesn't change its apartheid laws?

The white South African government is already doomed. The beginning of the end was in 1974 with the elimination of Portugal as a military factor in South Africa. The remaining white stales are under tremendous pressure at the moment and the imminent collapse of the Smith regime will mean that the attention and energy of the Black liberations movement in Southern Africa can he directed at South Africa itself

Can your views he considered representative of the Black people of South Africa?

If you are talking of credentials, I am a member of the South African Students Organisation and also of the Black Peoples Convention, which is the most influential political movement in South Africa operating outside the framework of apartheid.

Will you be able to return to your country when your NZUSA scholarship expires?

No. Not to South Africa itself. But I will return to one of the neighbouring states to continue the struggle against apartheid.