social democratic party, on the noder or socia democraac par tes in Europe, making a bid for that terrain in South Afric At the moment the SACP is the dominant left force, with 8. 10,000 members. It isparticular. ly strong inside the trade union federation COSATU kerists' who built COSATU in the 1980s, largely capitulated and joined the SACP or kept quiet -and this is a real tragedy.
Through this the SACP was able to neutralise the militant wing of the trade union move. ment and incorporate it into the of the ANC. For example Cyril Ramaphosa, former leader of the mineworkers, is now the general secretary of the ANC. What are the prospects of the left? In the medium and longterm we still think there are big possibilities. The traditions of the 1980s rebellion nd trade union struggles re too strong to just disap pear, no matter how difficult the current situation.
Still you find in struggles and debates the demands for socialism and workers control spontaneously re-appear, whatever the position of the leadership and despite the bureaucratisaWhat Is the central political lIne of WOSA, Its themes of Intervention and demands? WOSA finds itself in a difficult position. Its central strategic demand is for a Constituent Assembly on the basis of one-person, one vote.
But it is a hard struggle to push foreword this line, given ne dominance of the necondtion process comhe liberation movement.
But you have to look at the longer-term prospects. The tradition of socialism is still very strong in the workers movement. And there are still important workers struggles over pay and conditions, when again in Angola. vication of an agreement between the two parties. reserves, the one essential minoral South Africa lacks. continuing to assist rebel forces. According to the Angolan authorites. war. results were announced, two Department of Mit tary The unit was put on 24 hours standby in September. minister Pik Botha declared persona non grata inside Angola No. 37 By Charlie van Gelderen Despite the internationaly supervised elections last September - which United Nations observers declared free and fair-civil war is raging once The MPLA won a decisive majority, even in areas where Unita previously hold control. But Unita leader Savimbi has tofused to accept the result, in Savimbi may have boon abandoned by his friends in Washington and Landon, but saun Anca femans arous so see a trendy overnment intand in Angola. Pretoria is hoping for favoured access to that country's rich oil While pretending to support the poace process, in practice Pretoria is at least 50 overflights of Angolan airspace have been undertaken by the South Alricans.
Thore have boon allegations that 32 battalion, made up of South African-rocruited Angolans working under the direction of the South Alrican Detence Force, was deployed in the south of Angola, in readiness for fully-fledged avil There are unconfirmed intelligence reports that even before the election into Angola to establish the aroundwork for a joint Sout Alcan-Unita assault orce. At least two DMi operatives continue to closely monitor the situation in ome weeks before Savimbi threatened to renew his wat against the MPU government, 32 Battaion was engaged in military manoeuvres at Smitsdrift, near Kimbertey. Since then, 250 soldiers of 32 Battalion hare gone missing In September, a former official of the South African Foreign Affairs Department, Sean Cleary, was arrested in Luanda on suspicion of actions hostle to the Angolan state. He was subsequently deported, and South Alrican foreign These allegations were given new weight by documents leaked to a Spanish news agency, which referred to a pre-planned plot to take over Luanda by Toros. using the 4,000-strong Unita forces stationed there in the wake of the alections.
February 13, 1993 Page 9
ti Features