abortion season rights Open •We are acutely aware of the designs of this. Our resolution also stresses that no believe that negotiationa are near. There will he a negotiated settlement at some stage, but at the moment those chances are nil. ... We must build our organisations so as to have power and control. The political initiative tions, must come from us, We must control We must not be dictated to by the COSATU General Secretary Jay Naidoo manouevre a reformist settlement in this country. We will have nothing to do with towards negotiations, the concept of negotita- the initiative so as to dictate the conditions. Americans, the Europeans or the De Klerks.' FEATURES on, to consolidate and develop national struc- movement on a new democratic basis to out a new political project: the first tures which have cffective and democratic 'COSATU rejects any strategic alliance with representatives of big capital and par- COSATU Congress, June 1989). (Malan's Democrats participato in the Tri Cameral Parliament, and this sec- COSATU as a whole propose to reconstitute and reorganise the UDF around the workers" results can be seen in the defiance campaign and the general strike against the White elec- tion of the resolution is a direct reference). other words, both Mayckiso : ticipants in apartheid's state structures'.
troversial appointees, the US Supreme They have been overturning positive action principles, okaying the death penalty for the mentally incompetent and for teenagers; and souri statute which prohibits abortion in pablic hospitals, harasses women seeking late abor- "conception". The political implications of these Initially those who oppose legal abortion vowed they would overturn the historic 1973 Roe v. Wade judgement which permitted it: but as Justice Scalia explained: It appears that the Court has been handing down one reac rouided off their session by upholding the Mis- declares that life begins ruling» undersonre the cynicism promise of a "kinder, gentler nation". bonary ruling after another. process. It also clearly states that only a Serious negotiations are not as likcly as negotiations inside the country are further negotiations can take place without the democratic participation of the people in this sovereign body mandated by the people and accountable to them can have the authority to develop a new constitution. ... Our bottom Line on negotiation is that it must lead to the the world scems to think. The conditions for from heing met today than three months ago: and all sections of the mass anti-apartheid prisoners, end the State of Emergency, unban the banned organisations, free speech and as- opening negotiations: release the transfer of power to the people*. (Interview, August 1989) movement share the basic Guidelines focusses on the accepted proposal "The CEC is instructed to call a spocial National Congress to draft a workers' charter when we have discussed our demands in all The workers" charter is not meant to be a socialist programme. Its framework is the "democratic' framework of the Guidelines, as Mayekiso says: The Workers' Charter can answer things that trouble workers - like the right to strike. - Then the working class tion what is the future society?.. So there for a workers' charter contained within them: our structures and with our allies in the work- politicul programme must answer the ques- COSATU resolution on are two different things. The COSATU ing clans"
forced to alter their strategy, instead placing as many obstacles as they can devise in the path of women seeking abortion. The Supreme Court's for legalised abortion has never been stronger, and mansion of constitutionalised abortion law; constructed overnight in Roe v. Wade, must be disassembled door-jamb by door-jamb, and The anti abortion lobby have therefore been ruling on Webster v. Reproductive Health Ser- vices is a measure of their success, opening the especially strong among the young, who grew up thinking that their reproductive rights were secure. According to a national survey in the never entirely brought down, no matter how Opinion polls show that support gates to a flood of reactionary legislation. Opinion polls wrong it may be sembly. It is pot the ANC's support for babwe style "democratic" transition... and struggle for democracy and the level of maturity and self-organisation of the forces peaceful armed actions, not its "secret communism' that frightens South Africa's rulers: it is the fact that the apartheid state is most vul- nerable on the democratic question, and the ANC remains a potcut cnemy while it Though theory does not rule out a Zim- capitalist entrenchmenr, followed by the destruction of democratic rights. South Aftica's rulers have wisely excluded that op tion - and not only because of their relatively buge white population. The dynamics of the promotes unity on that issue. make would involved Meanwhile the trade unions are ex- periencing real difficulties. South Africa's economic crisis scems insolubic, and mil- employed The gap berween employed and heightened - hefore the White elections: the keeping the lahour movement going is a per- manent drag: nevertheless the movement, Taken as a whole, is still growing and the process of workers unity still unfolding. In March thix year 15 COSATU unions. 11 NACTU unions and 17 Independent unions lions of blacks are now unemployed or semi- unemployed in growing, creating a real chal- level of self-sacrifice involved in simply met at a "workers" summit' against the new Labour Laws:
ganisation for Women (NOW) reports its: "abortion is a decision that has to be made by the country supporters of women's rights to control their own bodies demondrated opposi- fastest-ever growth rate, with 40,000 joining in the last six months, and coalitions to defend women'* reproductive rights are springing up The Webster decision undenmines the right Los Angeles Times, 74 percent believe that A majority of people opposed the Supreme Court ruling, and in hundreds of towns around tion to the Webster decision. The National Or- SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 18, October 1989 to legal abortion in four fundamental ways: every woman for herself' everywhere. The struggle over the future course of the advanced, but it is clearly unfinished, and on some fronts barely started In many ways the South African example and some of the con- clusions the workers" movement has come to may end up having a bigger impact on the rest of the world than Moscow and i- perialism are having on the liberation forces "democratic" transition infinitely more tisky South African revolution is aircady under- way. In some senses this discussion is very in South Africa today. than in Zimbabwe. This is the contexi to the current discus- a few left groups are opposed to negotiahons sarily counterpowed to revolutionary struggle to overthrow apartheid). But even Moses Mayekiso, who is some way from the views of the ANC and South African Communist Party, sumned up his view on negotiations 'Firstly, I believe that the solutions to our country's problems will finally come through negotiations. I don't believe we will be able to get to Pretoria and out [len President] Botha from those buildings. But 1 also don't sion about negotiations in South Africa. Only in ponciple (seeing such a course as neces- this way: Page 8
Everything is up for grahs, Ar the cost of an abortion, or bring delays, increasing thie vitation to anti abortion no- tivists and legislators to pass new laws restricting abortion. a minimum, additional resiric- tions will result in increasing FEATURES
risk to a woman's health, and least resources are the hardest hit - the poor, the young, and ensuring that those with the
Page 9 states (some not enforced at present due to Dianne Feeley countries, but the USA has the highest rate of hirthday. More than a million US teenagers hecome pregnant every year, and almost half Given the high rate of pregnancy, it is not surprising that 25 per cont of all abortions are ly 50-65 per cent of those who have abortions However legislation in more than half of all cout orders) demands parental consent is higher than ever in the US, still opinion wrong, and 57 per cent believe it is murder. The Supreme Court has indicated it is willing to restrict women's right to legal abortion in several fundamental ways. It is in this new context that supporters of women's rightx suffering Even if abortion roniains legal, if women believe access is cut off, illegal abortions may Shortly after the under tice more abortion cases this autumn. One patient abortion clinics and doctors' surgeries to become mini-hospitals: this would affect 94 per bent of all ahortions, and would The other two cases deal with parental consent before a minor can obtain an abor- tion. The rate of leenage sexual activity is pregnancy - clearly Europeans have more ef- fective sex education programmes. Despite the Fact that fertility is at its peak during these years, half of all teenagers are sexually active a year before they obtain birth control. Con- sequently 40 per cent of all US teenage women become preguant by their twentieth performed on teenage women. Approximate- confide in one or both of their parents. Though public support for legal abortion polls show 61 per cent believe it is morally Hyde amendment cut off fund saw from infections and other com- plications of self-induced or il- The Supreme Court also agreed to review challenger carly abortions by forcing out- most discuss possible strategies to fight back. prohably double the price (currently averag: hospitals women appearing women of colour. similar through the various legal abortions. Medicaid. resurface. choose to have abortions. for before abortion is legal. women ing ing 230 dollars). Fundamentalism US-style - as crowds of bigots mobilise to blockade abortion clinics like this one in Atlanta of severe foctal ahnormalitics or because of Poor women and women of colour suffer disproportionately from a variety of serious bealth conditions which may be exacerbated still be able to meet the criteria of being hospitals are also the ones most vulnerahle to If hospital abortions are effectively oul- lawed, medical personnel will no longer receive training in abortion procedures, and disappear from medical schools. This in turn • The Court upheld viability testing procedures for women 20 woeks pregnant, lars to the cost of an abortion, and one such test, amniocentesis, itself has a one per cent risk of inducing a miscarriage or causing haemorrhage or infection. Such tests could delay an already late abortion by one or two more weeks, make it still more difficult and Less than one per cent of all abortions take place after 20 weeks, but this pruvision is extremely important: it is often very young women who have late abortions hecause they did not reulise they were pregnant (or denied the fact), or were unable to scrape together the money to obtain an abortion. Other late ahortions take place hecause of the discovery • The Court, by its decision, issued an in- risk; others depend upon hospitals as their only source of health care (particularly poor or rural women) or discover foctal discare or by pregnancy, The few hospitals which may "private" will not be able to service all the women who need hospilalisation - and these knowledge of the procedure will effectively would drive abortion underground even if despite medical testimony that foctal viability Such testing adds beiween 125-450 dol deformity only later in their pregnancy. legal, making it potentially less safe, begins only around the 24th week: anti-abortion hoycott campaigns. the woman's healt: munths 36 of pregnancy were performed at hnspiall in St Louis. But they can no longer threatening medical conditions are at greater almost all abortion, or even for raising ing for abortion as well as by prohibiting public hospitals and their staff from pertorm- contractual arrangements with a state or local perform abortions because they lease the land Only one woman in evesy ten who choose But the reality is that the declaration sets lawing forms of birth control which prevent a fertilised egg from developing: for restricting # The Court Found that states are free to This ruling is so broad that even a private doctor whose admission privileges are it a hospital which received public funding or has Much of health care in the United States is at least in some way conected to public funding or public entities. For instance in Missouri 97 per cent of all abortions in the Truman Medical Centre, a private ahortion undergoes the procedure in a hospi- tal: but those who have severe or life- that life begins at conception imposed no up a political judgement equating the life of a nant woman, suggesting that the state impose is judgement whenever the interests of one criminal charges against pregnant women # The Court found that the declaration substantive restriction, that it was no more than a value judgement favouring childbirth who fail to alter their diet habits or refuse foetus at conception with the life of the preg- This declaration is potentially far reach ment that policy by prohibiting public fund prefer childhirth over whortion, and to imple ing It could he utilised as the basis for out SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 18, October 1989 govermcot would he affected. specitie niedical procedures. "life conflict with another. from a public body! 'TE AIL tal: but those ever abortion. ing abortions.
WAR! 'Corpses of Nicaraguans slowly appear. The cadavers of a group of Nicaraguans who were forced to throw themselves into the river by the criminal "pateros" (river- Rio