Struggle Intensifying

The theme of Isaacs' address was that the issue of the Springbok Tour has ... "to be placed in the overall context of the struggle for national liberation and independence in Azania" (the word used by the black movement in South Africa to refer to South Africa - ed.)

The struggle, he pointed out, is intensify- ing through numerous political trials the white regime has recently been conducting, a rising number of confrontations between government security forces and armed freedom fighters, an increase in popular resistance especially through workers' strikes which have rapidly increased in the last 14 months, and strikes by other groups such as students, journalists and churchmen.

And yet, he said, the Western press has been giving more publicity to the reforms which have been instituted such as integrating public lavatories and opening the country's national parks to blacks. Still the calls are coming from the West to build bridges, political and economic to try and influence the white regime. It is still thought by many that economic growth is the best solution to the poor condition of the blacks and that economic sanctions would hurt only the African population.