Hamas supporter shot by Israeli troops is rushed to safety By Charlie van Gelderen The current situation in South Africa will test every political tendency. April 27 1994 is scheduled for the first ever one-person-one-vote election.
But to believe there will be a peaceful transition to majority rule is to sow illusions. An undeclared civil war already exists.
disguised as a black against black war. with Buthelezi's Inkatha doing the dirty work for the winte ruing Cass.
The level of violence is appalling. Officially the death toll in political vio lence rocketed to 2,606 in April and 2,189 in May nearly 5,000 deaths in two months. The real figures are probably worse.
To quote Neville Alexander at the third WOSA National Conference last April, Traditional social control is disintegrating, the bankrupt, racist state cannot and will not re-assert even its res pressive order because many parts of the cities have become no go areas for its civilian and uniformed functionaries and because it suits its sinister agenda to promote so-called black-on-black violence.' The white far right (uneasily linked to inkhata), with scant chance of winning a 'volkstaat' (Afrikaner homeland) through mayorators or tie alot Dox, Is actively gearing up for secession by armed struggle. Although a it has considerable support the South African Defence Force commando structure and could, it is estimated, mobilise 100,000 men at short notice Even if the ANC is allowed to ever worsening situation, with crisis everywhere - in education, health, recreation and, above all the economic sphere.
Unemployment has never been worse. The government admits that more than 50 per cent of the economically active popuwton are our of work. In the Eastern Cape - an ANC stronghold - the unemployment rate is above 80 percent for black youth. Less than four per cent of new labour can be absorbed annually.
What was once thought unthinkable has become normal -white familles queue up at soup kitchens; scabbing white workers and their families share hostel accommodation in Natal with black mineworkers; unemployed white workers live in so-called white squatter camps.
The ANC, PAC and other 'peodes organisations are unable to offer any real solution. Negotiatons for power sharing are held Deal protects ruling elite up as the short term answer.
At the WOSA conference. Neville Alexander spelled out clearly the main thrust of ruling class strategy since February 1990.
*For economic reasons and in order to gain a certain measure of political legitimacy...the ruling class has been compelled to scrap Verwoerdian apartheid Dismantling apartheid for them meant no more than repealing the pro-white and especially the oro-Afrikaner affirmative action so they could accommodate the rising black middle class and the skilled black working class within the continuing racial capitalist system fecting the real power relations between the bourgeoisie and the working class.
For the overwhelming majority of black people, the cosmetic changes to the system...make very little difference, for many they...lead to a dramatic worsening of the quality of life.'