union
•It called for all forms of internajah Barayi:
including disinvest-
"an act of struggle for our
Socialist Viewpoint No. 10 February 1985 pl5
• It demanded the lifting of the state of emergendy for the withdrawal of and police from the townships, and unconditional release political prisoners and
• It condemned the vicious system of bantuslans used by the apartheid state to divide and rule the black ma-
"with a view to thwarting the just struggle foor one person one vote in a unitary South Africa. " It accused "tribally-based organisations" (the most conspicuous of which is the
Inkatha movement of Zulu Chief Gatsha Buthelezi) of killing trade unionists.
rose to applaud the ultimatum delivered by president Eli-
"COSATU gives Botha six months to get rid of passes. If that does not take place we will burn the passes of the black man... I want to give
South Africa
*G&ALLIE
CCI
P.W. Botha a last warning to get rid of the pass laws to to withdraw the troops from the townships before the countinis burns.
It political COSATU's founding whichis the most encouraging new feature of a joint federation whose formation had only been delayed by frictions between the various wings of the main constituent organisations.
Leaders of the FOSATU federation in particular had to a considerable extent abstained from overt involvement in political struggles except in cases of massive pressure like the 2-day political general strike in the Transvaal involving 1 million workers in November 1984. always argued that the broad, cross-class composition of the main antipartheid umbrella campaign, United Democratic Front, ruled out union affiliation, since favoured a "working class" party.
The failure of FOSATU vervene as an organised force in the UDF in turn strengthened the hand of the UDF's petty bourgeois leaders at local and national level. the basic political line of the banned African National Congress, the UDF leaders see their task as harnessing black support to pites and the black middle "Hiberal" classes in the hopes of peacefully achieving democratic reforms South Africa.
This line is plainly losing the confidence of considerable black youth, who look to the ANC and UDF. but also see peaceful march after peaceful protest brutally attacked by the armed forces Botha's state. Even official figures
ORKERS UN show 650 dead in 1985 — 300 of them after the state of emergency was imedge to conference violence - which has escalated whites have begun to fall victim to the leader of the UDF, Stone Sizani, went furthr than the customary line and called in December for the formation of black workers into urban militias
"to protect our people".
tional politics of the ANC focus on the role of the ANC's own armed wing to workers' militias.
FOSATU had of the most militant youth in the townships who
FOSATU violence and to organise rent strikes, to in-
Following adherence to peaceful must start hitting back."
pressure impression that Sizani, in layers of of ting
Mandela and courageous Winnie Mandela.
militants.
While
Stalinist posed. Nearly 6,000 activists have with over 1,500 still rank and file
Such is the mounting level of state the townships.
From this carry through the struggle - it has
Sizani however recognised the role are establishing specialist groups to combat police divisive.
They are often accused by the present authorities of intimidation. But we democratic hve to look at the circumstances in which they are operating. If anything unionists as has been overdone. That's why I say we especially
While it is hard to avoid the distinct
ANC leader Tambo, is trying to bluff Botha with threats of armed action which he knows will not yet be delivered, the growing commitment and militancy of black youth is a major factor in the several situation. It is also a problem for the
ANC, whose exiled leadership will recession.
find it increasingly hard to control an
It organisation which is clearly attrac new, independent-minded
Socialist Viewpoint No. 10 February 2985 pl6
(Left) COSATU President Elijah Barayi: (right) ANC support focusses on jailed Nein the ANC's bureaucratic, influenced leaders recol! from this new development, the key task is to ensure that the new militant does not become isolated from the mass movement of black workers: It remains urgent to orgnaise and co-ordinate the strug gles across the various sectors of the black population, to bulld councils of action that can link the struggles of the industrial workers with those of the unemployed, and the students with the communities as a whole in angle, the call at the beginning of December by the two main black unions that had not joined the COSATU federation for a general strike if Botha did not lift the state of emergency by the end of the year, could only be seen as adventurist and
The black working class needs to establish and test its new unity in common struggles. A host of issues themselves not only demands, but material problems facing workers as trade result of the South African economic crisis. Inflation at 17% is still rising. Food has risen sharply in price, with bread 25% up and maize 30%, with preices of another 3,000 food items increased in December. One black worker in four Is out of a job across the whole country, with pockets of truly enormous unemployment and key industries hit by remains to be seen whther COSATU wil live up to its pledges to link the political and economic strug-