if only Cde President OR could predict that the liberation movement in Zimbabwe would so flagrantly betray the masses of Zimbabwe and turn them into captives.
Long live the dream of a peaceful and democratic Zimbabwe as enunciated by the all time commander in chief OR On 1/31/10, Castro Ngobese <[email protected]> wrote: > January 8 Statement - 1980 > ------------------------------ > > Let Us Rise to the Occasion > > Speech by Comrade President, O.R. Tambo on the occasion of January 8th, > 1980, 68th anniversary of the African National Congress of South Africa. > > *Today is January 8th, the birthday of the African National Congress. This > 68th anniversary of the foundation of the ANC falls in the year 1980, a > historic year in that it also is the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the > Freedom Charter. 1980 of course marks both the beginning of a new decade and > the end of the Seventies which have proved truly momentous in the history of > mankind.* > > Last year, when we spoke to you on January 8th, we said that SWAPO of > Namibia and the Patriotic Front of Zimbabwe had reached the very threshold > of power. We said that power in our region was visibly changing hands and > that days of the racists and their stooges were strictly numbered. > > The question how many days the racists and their stooges had in our region > is today being answered practically in Zimbabwe. > > *A Democratic Zimbabwe * > > Events in this country that is our neighbour hold a promise that a lasting > peace in Zimbabwe could be re-established on the basis of the restoration of > its independence and the genuine national emancipation of its indigenous > majority. Events in Zimbabwe hold the promise that the people of Zimbabwe > could once more regain control of the land and the productive resources of > their country, enabling them to reconstruct their country into one that > offers its inhabitants prosperity and happiness. > > As this decade of the 'eighties begins we shall this year no doubt see a > democratic Zimbabwe begin to play her rightful role in international > councils, contributing her equal share to the modelling of a peaceable world > order which is just and democratic in all its aspects. > > The victory that is within the grasp of the heroic people of Zimbabwe is one > that belongs not just to these brother people. It is a victory which belongs > to the progressive forces of the world. It is firmly based on the successes > scored during the 'seventies and constitutes the concrete contribution of > the people of Zimbabwe to our collective advance in one inter-dependent, > world-wide battle fought on many fronts. > > The Seventies saw the final triumph of the outstanding gallant people of > Vietnam through the defeat of the occupation forces American imperialism and > their puppets throughout Indo-China. The consequences of this historic > victory continue to reverberate round the world to this day and constitute a > potent force in all current struggles for the emancipation and progress of > mankind > > *Epoch Making Events * > > In the turbulent wake of these epoch-making events came the victories in > Africa with the defeat of Portuguese colonialism, the birth of Guinea > Bissau, Cape Verde and Sao Tome e Principe and with the formation of the > People's Republics of Mozambique and Angola, the ushering in of a new > historical era on the very borders of South Africa - the very bastion of > capitalist exploitation and imperialist reaction on the African continent. > > Indeed, no continent remained immune to the confident march of mankind > towards a better world. In Europe, fascism suffered defeat and collapsed in > Portugal, Spain and Greece. In the Near East, mass popular struggle > overthrew the arch-tyrant of Iran, Shah Reza Pahlavi and began the process > of the radical restructuring of this former outpost of American imperialism > in this region. In the Middle East, the Palestinian struggle won its > greatest diplomatic victory with the international recognition of the PLO as > the sole representative of the Palestinian people. In the Americas, the > decade closed with the people of Nicaragua, under the Ieadership of the > Sandinista National Front trouncing the US - backed Somoza dynasty. This > victory served to cap bold anti-imperialist changes that we had witnessed in > the neighbouring islands of the Caribbean, such as Jamaica and Grenada. > > The decade of the Seventies began, for us, with the government of the United > States confidently predicting that Southern Africa in general, and South > Africa, especially, would for the foreseeable future remain in white hands. > This illusion was even made the basis of policy through its specific > elucidation in that infamous document, Memorandum 39, which the Nixon > administration adopted on the eve of the Seventies, in 1969. Yet by 1976, > the author of this document, none other than Henry Kissinger, was singing a > different tune. > > Compelled by the advances of the anti-imperialist movement across the globe, > including Southern Africa, in the face of the most determined resistance by > the United States and its allies, Kissinger thought it was time that the > United States itself should at least begin to give the impression that it > welcomed this process of change. Speaking in Lusaka in April 1976, Kissinger > declared: "We support self-determination, majority rule, equal rights and > human dignity for all the people of Southern Africa". > > *Our Own Struggles* > > Our own struggles within South Africa had forced the Secretary of State to > amend his opinions of only a few years earlier. What, therefore, can we say > were the victories of the anti-imperialist forces on the South African front > during the decade of the Seventies? > > Last year, when we spoke to you on this day, we said that more than ever > before, we were confident of victory. In declaring 1979 the "Year of the > Spear" we called on all our people to take up the challenge of the spirit of > Isandlwana. We charged the people, in their entirety, to spread the message > of defiance and resistance to all forms of racist rule. > > We said this, knowing that you would respond to these calls. Our knowledge > and confidence were based on the reality that in the preceding years we had > all of us succeeded through struggle to score significant victories in the > face of the most brutal enemy opposition. > > What were these victories? > > > 1. We recovered from the blows that the enemy had dealt us in the > Sixties. > 2. We scored significant successes in rebuilding the forces that had > obliged the enemy to declare a state of Emergency in 1960 - a state of > emergency which, except in name, he has been forced to maintain up to > now. > 3. The fascist regime had tried to uproot the African National Congress > from among the people through a programme of suppression, in its > brutality > unprecedented in the long history of violent repression in our country. > Yet > by the beginning of the Seventies the patriots of our country had decided > to > resume the offensive against the enemy and begun successfully to form new > underground units of the ANC, to consolidate old ones and to declare in > action to the masses of our people that the ANC lives! > 4. The enemy had tried to smash the People's army, Umkhonto we Sizwe, and > repeatedly trumpeted his complete victory in the execution of this > hopeless > task. Yet even he could not avoid occasional admissions that he had not > succeeded as well as he thought, if only because he had now and again to > bring into his courts newly captured combatants of the People's Army. In > the > Seventies you succeeded to rebuild Umkhonto we Sizwe into the force that > it > is today. > 5. You succeeded also to regroup as open, above-ground organisations - > units of the broad liberation front, defeating the attempts of the enemy > to > impose a deathly passivity among the oppressed people. New generations of > young people joined enthusiastically in this process, as in all other > theatres of struggle, guaranteeing the continuity of our struggle until > victory. > > All this translated itself into the heightened activity of the masses of the > people. The astounded apartheid regime, which thought it had pacified all of > us by the use of terror, suddenly found itself confronted by the risen > people - from the student strikes of 1972, the workers' battles of 1973, > through to the mighty Soweto uprising and beyond. It was on the basis of > this accumulated and organised strength that we issued our call to you on > January 8th last year. We have not been disappointed in your response > > The year that has just ended must therefore serve as an inspiration and an > example to all of us. Heroic struggles have been waged at Crossroads, > Bergville, Alexandra, Klipfontein, at Fatti's and Moni's, Frametex, Rainbow > Chickens, DTB Cartage, Ciskei Transport Corporation, Elandsrand goldmine. > Mighty struggles have broke out at Ladysmith, Hammersdale, Port Elizabeth, > Port Shepstone. The Batlokwa in the Northern Transvaal are still locked in > brave political combat. The Botha regime had to impose its oppressive > "independence" on the people of Venda under conditions of virtual martial > law, thanks to the mass rejection of the Bantustan system by our people in > this area, as elsewhere in the country. > > *Umkhonto we Sizwe* > > The past year has also seen our heroic people's army Umkhonto we Sizwe > hitting at the enemy in daring raids such as Moroka and Orlando in Soweto. > We have seen the brave and uncompromising fight waged by the combatants of > Umkhonto we Sizwe in the Pietermaritzburg "treason" trial, one of whom, > James Mange, today stands in danger of being assassinated by order of a > racist law court, unless we wage mass struggles to save his life. A great > victory was scored when the young stalwarts of our revolution, Alexander > Moumbaris, Stephen Lee and Timothy Jenkin, defying all odds walked out of > Pretoria Maximum Security Prison to rejoin the fighting ranks of the African > National Congress and Umkhonto we Sizwe. > > The past year has also seen thousands of our people reaching into our > glorious past remembrance of the historic victory at Isandlwana and thus > marking the year, up to this coming January 21st, as the Year of the Spear. > The call has gone out to all these thousands that the time has come that we > sharpen our spears to continue the heroic example of combat given to us by > our fighters at Isandlwana and elsewhere in our country during the wars of > resistance to colonial occupation. > > During this past year millions inside and outside our country have drawn > inspiration from the example set by that giant of a young man, Solomon > Mahlangu and his mother, Mrs Martha Mahlangu, South Africa's "Woman of the > Year" in 1979. > > *Isandlwana* > > What we are saying is that all of us, the oppressed people of South Africa > have prepared well for the battles we shall have to wage as the Eighties > begin and as we observe the Year of the Charter. We have once more taken to > mass action in ever increasing numbers. We have demonstrated to ourselves > the power of united mass action. We have shown the enemy that we have once > and for all broken his monopoly of arms and the science of modern warfare. > From the past and the present we have demonstrated that we remain as before, > gallant men, women and youth to whom cowardice and submissiveness are > foreign. > > Through our activities we have confounded our enemies and tamed their > arrogance, as did our forebears, at Isandlwana and elsewhere in our country, > whose heroic victories we have been celebrating during the "Year of the > Spear". But it is well to remember that even in those days, a hundred years > ago, the enemy did not take his defeat as final. He regrouped and > strengthened his forces and attacked us once more. This time victory went to > him. > > Once more because of our victories the enemy is trying to regroup and > strengthen his forces in preparation for an intensified counter-offensive. > Thus one of the principal realities of our situation is that the fascist > white minority regime in our country remains firmly committed to hold on to > its power. > > *Cosmetic Changes* > > Even in the recent past, leading spokesmen of the apartheid regime have > reiterated this resolve, openly stating that whatever reforms the regime is > contemplating, these do not include what the racists call the sharing of > power. In short, the determined view of the fascists is that power must > remain in their hands in perpetuity. This then is the principal goal that > the enemy pursues. > > As we all know, the enemy is simultaneously engaged in a gigantic and > fraudulent cosmetic exercise to improve the image of apartheid. Essentially > this fraudulent exercise aims to give the impression that the racist regime > is both capable of, and has started, to reform the apartheid system > gradually and peacefully out of existence. The truth however is that all > that our oppressors are doing is to create new conditions for the > perpetuation and further entrenchment of their tyrannical rule. > > The more the enemy talks of reform, the more he intensifies reaction. The > more he talks of freedom and democracy, the more he perfects and expands his > instruments of repression. The more he declares peace, the more he prepares > for and actually carries out war. The more he broadcasts that change is > taking place or is imminent, the more things remain the same and worsen. > > The rulers of our country know that their attempts to mislead and deceive > the international community will not save the regime from the continuing and > heightening offensive by all of us, the oppressed people of South Africa. > They therefore continue to rely on their tried and tested ways and means for > the defence of the apartheid system - open terror. > > In his Christmas message, the racist President Viljoen did not, and indeed > could not, hide the fact that he owes his position, as do his fellow > racists, to the repressive state machinery of fascism. Hence he showered > messages of goodwill on the racist army and police force and made all manner > of promises to these two arms of fascist power to strengthen and honour > them. > > Indeed the head of the apartheid state could not have spoken otherwise > because for the fascist regime to hold on to power means to strengthen the > apartheid army and the apartheid police. > > It is therefore all the more surprising that despite all this, and despite > our daily experience of growing repression and oppression, we can still find > some among us who venture to speak out in favour of the Botha regime. > > *Dialogue with the enemy - a false thesis * > > I am talking of those among the black people who seem to have developed a > fondness for projecting Botha and his gang as a new brand of fascist who is > prepared to concede us our democratic demands - those who, consequently, > call on us to stop struggling, to wait and watch, allowing Botha time to > liquidate his white minority regime and fling wide the gates of our > captivity! Among these belong those whose perspective of struggle hinges on > the false thesis that dialogue with the enemy and not confrontation with > him, will produce the results which the masses of the people consider their > inalienable rights. > > We do indeed expect that Margaret Thatcher, Carter and other leaders of the > imperialist world will speak up in defence of the Botha regime, as they are > doing and have done. We expect them to be working feverishly to break the > international isolation of this criminal regime and to strengthen it within > South Africa. Thatcher and others must do this because they have vast > interests to defend in South and Southern Africa, which interests they feel > are best protected and expanded by the continuation of the apartheid system. > We expect them to advise our people to call off their struggle, or to pause > and rest; in other words to do the impossible: to surrender! Such is the > language of imperialism. It is not the language of the people. > > It is opportune that we remind ourselves of some of the teachings of the > leaders of our national liberation movement. In this case we want to refer > to what Nelson Mandela wrote in 1953 under the very appropriate title: "*The > Shifting Sands of Illusion*". > > Here is what this great patriot said: "Talk of democratic and constitutional > means (of struggle) can only have a basis in reality for those people who > enjoy democratic and constitutional rights. We must accept the fact that in > our country we cannot win one single victory of political freedom without > overcoming a desperate resistance on the part of the government, and that > victory will not come of itself but only as a result of a bitter struggle by > the oppressed people for the overthrow of racial discrimination....No > organisation whose interests are identical with those of the toiling masses > will advocate conciliation to win its demands....The only sure road to (the) > goal (of freedom) leads through the uncompromising and determined mass > struggle for the overthrow of fascism and the establishment of democratic > forms of government." > > The time has come that those who wis to be counted among the forces of > nation liberation in our country should extricate themselves from the > shifting sands of illusion that we will win our demands by dialogue and > conciliation with the fascist regime. They should instead, as Nelson Mandela > said: "mobilise from our ranks the forces capable of waging a determined and > militant struggle against all forms of reaction" for the overthrow of the > fascist regime, for national liberation of the black oppressed majority and > the creation of a democratic South Africa. > > *Under one banner* > > The need for the unity of the patriotic and democratic forces of our country > has never been greater than it is today. Last year, on the occasion of the > 67th anniversary of the formation of the African National Congress, which we > described then, as we do now, as the expression of the unity of the > oppressed, we invited all our countrymen in their various organisational > formations to seek and find ways of cooperation and collaboration in the > quest for justice in our country. We said then, as we do once more today on > the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the ANC and the 25th anniversary of > the Freedom Charter, that the enemy of freedom for the peoples has evolved a > divisive structure which has found support among some of the victims of that > structure. > > Are we, however, more united today than we were this time last year? So > vital is unity to our victory that this question demands an honest answer. > Let us therefore start with the ANC itself which, as we have said, > constitutes the expression of the unity of the oppressed. To put the matter > in other words any division within the ANC inevitably leads to division > among the people. > > As the current custodians of the leadership of this organisation which you, > the oppressed people, and the democratic forces of our country have spent > decades building, we do here wish to report to you that your organisation is > today as united as ever in all its ranks, with the leadership at home and > abroad, between the leadership and the ordinary membership and among all its > contingents wherever they are to be found, including the distinguished ones > that as yet remain in captivity in the enemy's dungeons. > > Similarly, Umkhonto we Sizwe, the army of the people of South Africa, is > itself united throughout its heroic ranks, within its detachments and > between its cadres, its commanding personnel and its political leadership. > Thanks to this unity, it has decisively and successfully repulsed enemy > attempts to destroy it from within through the infiltration of spies and > provocateurs. > > Both the ANC and Umkhonto we Sizwe have been able to achieve these > outstanding results on the basis of their adherence to the perspective > contained in the Freedom Charter, to the strategy of our Movement and people > for the seizure of power by the masses of our people through a combination > of political and armed struggle, and to our internationalist orientation > which is based on strengthening the unity of the world progressive and > anti-imperialist movement. > > As the embodiment of the liberation forces of our country, deriving that > historic role from its foundation by our forebears, and maintained as such > by the subsequent generations that have served and continue to serve in its > ranks, the ANC has, since our call last year, sought to carry out its duty > to bring together all our countrymen in their various organisational > formations and to enhance the level of cooperation and collaboration among > all of us. As a result of these efforts it has become very clear to us that > more dialogue is called for among us, the oppressed, to seek and find common > responses to our common oppression and exploitation, to ensure the certainty > that this year and in future we shall actually act together as one people > with one destiny. > > But we must insist, as Nelson Mandela did, that "no true alliance can be > built on the shifting sands of evasions, illusions and opportunism". Our > unity has to be based on honesty among ourselves, the courage to face > reality, adherence to what has been agreed upon, and to principle. > > *False Divisions* > > Certainly it subtracts from the process of the unification of our people in > action if we fall victim to the traps that the enemy has set and we start > ourselves encouraging false divisions and antagonisms, as for instance > between one ethnic group or so-called tribe and another, between one > nationality and another, between our rural and our urban people, between the > young and the old, between the liberation movement inside the country and > those described as "in exile", and indeed, strange to say, between the ANC > and the rest of the patriotic forces of our country. It is understandable > that the enemy should try and promote these antagonisms. It makes no sense > that we should want to do it for him. > > Yet the fact must be admitted that during this past year we have seen many > attempts to gain temporary advantage by seeking to foment and exploit these > false divisions and antagonisms. In certain instances matters have even > degenerated into public and personal bouts of mutual vilification. It would > be playing into the hands of the enemy if we allowed the politics of our > struggle to become a contest among the powerless for power over one another. > As Chief Luthuli said as long ago as 1953 in his address to the Annual > Conference of the ANC of that year, "we should not give respite to the > Government and those who support it, by indulging in a dogfight with other > groups, provided of course, those groups by word and deed do not stand in > our way...". > > To the extent that there are some among us who continue to ignore this > injunction, to that extent do we face some impediment in the task of uniting > all the oppressed and toiling masses and all democrats, to confront together > the real enemy, the Botha regime and those who support it, the racist system > of fascist oppression and economic exploitation, and the external forces > which maintain it. > > The masses of the people have however demonstrated in no uncertain terms > that our situation demands unity in action. As we have said, from the > Batlokwa in the North through Ladysmith, Port Shepstone and Port Elizabeth > to Crossroads in the South, the demand of our people is one: let us unite in > action to confront the criminal regime headed by PW Botha and Magnus Malan. > > It will be recalled that this time last year we called upon all opponents of > racial arrogance, domination and white supremacy to unleash, during the Year > of the Spear, a determined assault on the artificial political, economic and > racist barriers which go under the term apartheid or separate development. > We invited all true patriots to join in this effort > > *Defeat Bantustan "independence"* > > The factual record since then is that the enemy has succeeded to set up even > more of these separate development barriers. Venda is of course the > outstanding example, where we have had another fraudulent "independent" > Bantustan forcibly imposed on the people against their express will. There > has also been a virtual mushrooming of the so-called community councils, > while none of the already existing separate development institutions has > collapsed or disappeared through our actions against them. Further spinning > their oppressor web, PW Botha and Piet Koornhof went on their evangelising > tour of the Bantustans and Soweto, duly pledged to quicken the pace for the > implementation of the separate development programme, and offered us seats > on the advisory committees to advise them how best to oppress us. > > During this year of the 68th anniversary of the ANC, the beginning of the > last but one decade of the present century, we must together address > ourselves to the question: how much longer shall we allow ourselves to be > bought to serve the perpetuation of our own oppression? This question > applies with equal force to those serving within the "separate development" > institutions. > > Correctly, and responding to the lead given many years ago by the ANC on > this issue, the vast majority of our people stand in deadly opposition to > the separate development programme in all its forms. Given that the > programme does exist, the question is how, firstly to stop it, secondly to > destroy or render it inoperative. There are several responses to the > question. > > We know that some of our people will have nothing whatever to do with these > institutions. We know that some are participating as irretrievable traitors > or fortune seekers. We also know, however, that there are some who are > participating in this enemy-imposed programme in pursuance of patriotic > objectives, believing that such participation would weaken and facilitate > the destruction of these institutions from within. > > Others have entered these dummy bodies to block and keep out self-confessed > stooges of the regime, and to convert these institutions into platforms of > struggle against the enemy rather than instruments for the implementation of > the enemy's apartheid programme. > > Where the united weight of active mass resistance fails to prevent the > imposition of a dummy institution, public interest focuses on those who, > working within this separate development institution, defend their role as > one of patriotic participation as distinct from one which helps to condemn > our people to perpetual domination. > > *Patriotic Participation* > > But what constitutes patriotic participation in the enemy's separate > development institutions or programme? We suggest: if, as a result of such > participation, the development or progress of the programme is halted; if > its functional capacity to serve the enemy is restricted and reduced to nil, > if the masses of the people use the institution to wage mass struggles over > a whole range of issues that agitate them, such as land, mass removals, > citizenship rights, evictions and deportations, wages, rents and rates, > prices, fares, housing, taxes and other levies, health and educational > services, police harassment and brutality, unemployment, enemy soldiers > thrust into our midst as teachers and doctors to tame us for domination. > > These issues are some of the day-to-day expressions of the apartheid system > and permeate every part of our country, whether it is "independent" or not. > They constitute a challenging battleground for patriots, a rallying cry for > the mobilisation of the people for struggle and liberation for they can only > be resolved with the seizure of power from white minority regime. > > These, then, are some of the considerations which should distinguish between > patriotic participation and an exercise in salesmanship. > > We therefore once more renew our call to all opponents of racial arrogance, > domination and white supremacy to unleash, this year, a determined mass > assault on the racist barriers which go under the term apartheid or separate > development. > > *Constellation of States* > > The seriousness with which the enemy is pursuing his objective of holding on > to power at all costs is evident from his declared determination to buy some > of us out by creating a black middle class. At the same time, in the > aftermath of the Wiehahn and Rieckert Commissions, he wants to capture > control of and emasculate the very trade union movement which we fought for > over so many years and which throughout these years he refused to recognise. > Once more, understanding very clearly the use of force, the enemy has set > its sights on putting as many of our people under arms as possible, both > within and outside the framework of the Bantustans. He intends to use these > black puppet forces, naturally, as his cannon fodder, the front troops with > which he will confront the combatants of Umkhonto we Sizwe, while conserving > the white forces to enjoy and protect the fruits of the victory which the > enemy fondly and falsely imagines he will win. > > The fascist regime is of course also interested in the geographic setting of > South Africa, namely the Continent of Africa. Through its new-fangled scheme > for a so-called constellation of states, the regime is doing all in its > power to turn every single independent state in Southern Africa into its > puppet, to bring under its military, economic and political domination, the > countries and millions of people in Southern Africa. > > As a token of his intent, he has also seen fit to announce to the whole > world that should the Patriotic Front be elected to power in Zimbabwe next > month, then he will remove it by force of arms and instal in its place his > own chosen puppets. This strategy failed ignominiously in Angola in 1975-76. > It sought, by invasion and military occupation, to place the fascist > regime's own representatives as the government of a nominally independent > African state, but otherwise no different from the Bantustans that he has > already created. > > It was with respect to this very real threat that earlier we said current > events in Zimbabwe hold the promise of progressive change. The > transformation of that promise into reality can only be based on the defeat > of the South African racists and their allies in Zimbabwe and their eviction > from that country. > > The fact of the support of the imperialist powers such as Britain, the > United States, France, West Germany and others for this grand enemy strategy > both for within and outside South Africa means that the outcome of the > confrontation in Southern Africa has global implications. For us it means > that we have to fight against the formidable united strength of the > imperialist world. > > But however much the odds seem stacked against us we must fight to win our > liberation. We have our future in our own hands. Our actions will determine > our destiny. > > In the meantime, however, the brotherly people of Zimbabwe, led by the > Patriotic Front and through its heroic armed forces, have won a victory of > immense international dimensions, which will inevitably reinforce the > revolutionary forces of Southern Africa. > > Likewise with the Namibian people, under the heroic leadership of SWAPO, > intensifying the liberation war against the South African fascists, Namibia > shall soon be free. > > *The Year of the Charter* > > This year, 1980, marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom > Charter at the Congress of the People on June 26th, 1955. It is the task of > all the patriotic and democratic forces of our country to observe this > anniversary in a fitting manner. > > What is the Freedom > Charter<http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/charter.html>? > The Freedom Charter contains the fundamental perspective of the vast > majority of the people of South Africa of the kind of liberation that we all > of us are fighting for. Hence it is not merely the Freedom Charter of the > African National Congress and its allies. Rather it is the Charter of the > people of South Africa for liberation. It was drawn up on the basis of the > demands of the vast masses of our country and adopted at an elected Congress > of the people. Because it came from the people, it remains still a people's > Charter, the one basic political statement of our goals to which all > genuinely democratic and patriotic forces of South Africa adhere. > > In observing the 25th anniversary of its adoption, therefore we need to make > available millions of copies of the Freedom Charter to all our people both > young and old, in the towns and the countryside so that these great masses > of our people can once more renew their pledge of dedication to the future > that it visualises. > > By that act we shall be reaffirming our commitment to struggle and our > determination to bring into being the kind of social order in South Africa > that we, the oppressed majority, consider just and equitable. > > When we together drew up and adopted the Freedom Charter we set ourselves > firmly against all so-called reformist solutions of the South African > problem. We said we do not fight to reform apartheid but to abolish it in > its entirety. We said we do not fight to gain some illusory liberties in > areas set aside for us by the enemy or as this or the other national group. > We said we want freedom for all our people as equals, brothers and sisters > in one united and democratic South Africa. We did not call for "power > sharing" with the regime of the oppressors but firmly and unequivocally > challenged the legitimacy of that regime and its right to govern us. Neither > did we speak of special and unequal relations between South Africa and her > neighbours, Africa and the rest of the world. Rather we stated the matter > plainly that each people has a right to independence and self-government and > to equal status one with the other, and that it was on this basis that > peace, friendship and cooperation among the peoples can be secured. > > This means that when we observe the 25th anniversary of the Freedom Charter > we must simultaneously direct our attention against the enemy's strategy in > its totality because it is in fact diametrically opposed to what we are > fighting for. > > In this Year of the Charter, we must address ourselves afresh to the > question of the illegitimacy of the apartheid regime. We must state the > point boldly that this regime has no right to rule our country. > > The apartheid regime has brought untold suffering to the vast majority of > the people of South Africa. There is no need for us to spell this out in > detail because we all of us are suffering daily as a result of the criminal > policies of this regime. > > *Forward to a People's Government* > > There are over two million blacks unemployed in our country while billions > of Rand are spent on the war machinery to suppress us. More than five > million Africans have been rendered stateless. More than three million > Africans have been affected by the brutal system of mass removals. > Cemeteries throughout the country continue to fill up with the graves of > black infants and children in this Year of the Child, at a time when the > pockets of the already rich white minority bulge out dramatically with the > money earned from the prices of gold and other minerals which have gone sky > high. The jails are full to overflowing with people imprisoned under the > pass laws as well as so-called criminals many of whom turned to crime as a > result of the -apartheid system. > > Millions go to bed hungry with little prospect of food the following > morning. Millions are ill in health but with no possibility of medical > attention. Even beyond our borders yet other millions cannot go about their > legitimate business with a feeling of peace and security because the > murderous agents of PW Botha and Magnus Malan are bent on committing > aggression against independent Africa. > > These crimes against our people, against Africa and against humanity are > perpetrated by a regime devoid of any legitimacy to rule our country > because, as the Freedom Charter states, it is not "based on the will of all > the people". All our struggles at all levels this year must be accompanied > by the call - "Forward to a People's Government!" To give meaning to this > call, and in observing the 25th anniversary of the Freedom Charter and > renewing our commitment to the democratic demands contained within it, we > must launch mass struggles everywhere and around all the issues that both > agitate us and are reflected in the Freedom Charter. > > *Our Tasks* > > Our struggle, the victorious struggles of the Zimbabwe and Namibian people, > the victories of the African revolution as a whole, as well as the historic > duty that rests upon us as a people to liberate our country - all these > together demand of us, this Year of the Charter, to embark on: > > > - mass action to remove the Botha regime from power; > - mass action to destroy the separate development institutions, or to > turn them against the enemy; > - mass action to fight the enemy on all fronts and on all issues; > - mass action to step up the popular war of liberation > - mass rejection of all reformism and attempts to disarm us by seeking to > delude us that foreign investment, dialogue with the regime and peaceful > change can ever liberate us; > - mass action to observe the Year of the Charter as a year of the > people's commitment to a genuinely democratic South Africa, and popular > struggles to bring about such a democratic South Africa. > > *Our Commitment* > > On this historic day in the struggle of the world forces of progress, at the > beginning of a new decade: > > > - we salute the Hero of the People, James Mncedisi Mange, illegally > incarcerated in the enemy's death cells and pledge that we shall stand > with > you at all times; > - we salute the Hero of the People, > - Solomon Mahlangu, and pledge our loyalty to the cause for which you so > bravely perished; > - we salute our leaders and brothers and sisters held in the enemy jails > in South Africa and Rhodesia, as well as those in detention and on trial, > the banned and the banished, and pledge that we shall not rest until we > have > secured your liberty; > - we welcome back among the fighting ranks of the ANC and Umkhonto we > Sizwe the daring revolutionaries Alexander Moumbaris, Stephen Lee and > Timothy Jenkin; > - we salute the Patriotic Front and SWAPO and the brother peoples of > Zimbabwe and Namibia and pledge our determination to fight side by side > with > you until a genuine and popular peace prevails in Southern Africa > - we greet the peoples of Southern Africa, their governments and parties > and pledge that we shall spare no sacrifice in fighting to ensure the > destruction of the apartheid regime which is our common and immediate > enemy; > > - we greet our sister liberation movements, the PLO, Polisario, Fretilin, > the people of Puerto Rico and all the peoples > - fighting for their national emancipation; > - we greet the peoples of Africa, the Socialist countries, Asia and Latin > America, Scandinavia; the progressive, anti-racist governments and > peoples > of the West, convinced that in this new decisive phase of the struggle > our > ties of solidarity will further strengthen in the interests of a world > free > of national oppression, racism and the threat of war; we greet all our > struggling people inside and outside South Africa and reaffirm that only > by > our own struggle shall we win victory; > - we salute the militants of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe and all the other > fighting patriotic forces of our country on whom the burden rests to > organise and lead our people in the intense battles that lie ahead. The > eyes > of the masses of our people and the rest of humanity are on you. > > *A Great Decade* > > We wish you all, and all our friends and fellow combatants in Southern > Africa and throughout the world, a great year and a great decade - great in > the new victories that our efforts shall surely bring, in the noble struggle > against imperialism and reaction. > > On this occasion, January 8th, 1980, the 68th anniversary of the ANC, and > the year of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter, in > the name of our leadership and all our members, in the name the people's > army Umkhonto we Sizwe, in the name of the suffering and struggling millions > of South Africa, I formally declare this "*The Year of the Charter*" and > charge all the patriotic forces of our country with the task of observing > this Year of the Charter with courage and determination. We call on all our > people everywhere to take up the challenge of the 80's which have brought > the centre of gravity of Africa's liberation struggle to our land - to its > cities, towns and villages; its industries, factories and farmlands; its > mountains, plains and bushveld. > > *The struggle continues! > Forward to a People's Government! > Victory is Certain! > All Power to the People!* > ------------------------------ > > -- > You are subscribed. This footer can help you. > Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to > this message. > You can visit the group WEB SITE at > http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery > options, pages, files and membership. > To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . > You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to > put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to > this address (repeat): [email protected] . > -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
