SOUTH AFRICAN FRE SEDOM
FIGHTERS REPORT ON ACTIVITIES ... ..
. [the following report concerning a gathering of the African. People's Democratic Union of Southern Africa was released by L. Mqotsi, general secretary of-the organization, at Lusaka, Zambia, November 4, We are transmitting it in its entirety because of the interesting information it contains. The subheadings are.ineluded in the original text.] 7 ; Po,
The major national political organisation affiliated to the All-African Convention and the Unity Movement of South Africa is The African People's Democratic Union of Southern Africa (APDUSA). It was formed in 1961 in order, inter alia, "to struggle for the liquidation of national oppression of the oppressed people of South Africa » ». » and the acquisition by the whole nation of those democratic rights at present enjoyed Py only a small section of the population, namely, the White people.'
~. Thus, from its inception, APDUSA -- in aim and purpose -fell. four-square within the ambit of the All-African Convention and the Unity Movement in that it pledged itself to fight uncondition- | ally.for full democratic rights for all in Southern Africa _trrespootive: of race, colour and creed,
But APDUSA went further in its delineation of the field of its activities, It stated specifically and significantly in its constitution: "The democratic demands and. aspirations of the oppressed workers and peasants-shall be paramount in the orientation of APDUSA in both its short-term and long-term objectives."
APDUSA has fitted the deed to the word. Throughout the country -- in the villages, the factories, the farms, the mines and the kitchens of South Africa -~ the oppressed and exploited workers and peasants have rallied to the clarion call of APDUSA. After three... hundred years of helpless isolation and exposure to the enemies of freedom the oppressed masses of South Africa have now found their sanctuary. But because of this identification with APDUSA the workers and peasants of South Africa have incurred the wrath of the fascist-regime in their fatherland. This regime has promptly let loose its agents of terror on all layers of dedicated APDUSANS.
In spite of all this, however, the spirit of the people and their resolution to throw off the shackles of domination, oppression and exploitation. that bind them remains undaunted. .Every brutal experience serves to steel them more than ever before in their. determination to fight for the birth of a new society in South Africa «~ a free and democratic society. We record some of the tears of bitter- “ness which flow in the wake of the gallant struggle by our people to rid themselves of the cruel agony of oppression. We hope that this record of fire and blood will give the world an indication of the
enormity of the task that lies ahead of the Liberation Movement in our country. We are, however, heartened by the preparedness of our people to die for their demands, their beliefs and. aspirations.
During the month of September three peasant delegates traveled more than a thousand miles from the Transvaal to Pondoland in the Cape Provinee to meet other APDUSANS. Earlier, delegates from Pondoland had visited their brothers and sisters in the struggle in the Northern Transvaal, One of the delegates from the Northern Transvaal reported as follows:
(a) That. Fita-Khomo (a people's organisation in Northern Transvaal) identified itself completely with APDUSA,
(b) That 5, 000 membership cards were! required by the Central Executive of Fita-Khomo to rally and enroll’their followers into APDUSA.
Pondoland delegates reported as follows:
(a) That three camps of Government troops were concentrated along the seashore at Lusikisiki and Bizana (districts of Pondoland). These troops raided the people hiding in the forests frequently with the result that these people were now completely cut off from the population which supplied them with food and clothing. The forest people were threatened by hunger very seriously and if the situation did not change death might result.
(bd) Mass raids were carried out at Insikisiki by the Special Branch (Security Police) together with the police as a result of which the Secretary for Lusikisiki and Flagstaff (Mr. Ngqebane) was arrested. Certain documents were seized from him. He was ill+ treated by the police and forced to identify and incriminate certain people that the police were after, The regional leadership went in to hiding as it was rumoured that they were wanted by the Spectal Branch.
(c) At. Bizana the Special Branch together with informers were checking buses in order to track down the regional leadership if they should be on the run. Also information was given that if one of the national organisers of APDUSA should be spotted around Pondo-. land, particularly Bizana, he should be arrested immediately and brought to the authorities,
(ad). That six members of APDUSA from Bizana had been arrested by the Special. Branch and charged with holding and organising meetings of APDUSA.in the area. They appeared before the magistrate, Bizana, on the ‘28th September, 1964, “
One of the speakers at the meeting, referring to the plight of the freedom fighters hiding in the: forests, said that he felt in duty bound :'to offer his house for sale and contributing the whole selling
price towards the upkeep of these gallant soldiers of liberation. This was accepted by the regional committee and arrangements for sale were made. Two others offered each an ox for sale to enable a member of the regional committee in Pondoland to proceed to the Northern Transvaal to help in organisational work there, The two beasts were actually sold for the total amount of £46.0.0. The regional committee also decided to send two delegates to Natal in order to expedite the work of liberation,
Murder and Violence
A delegate from Sekukuneland (Northern Transvaal) pointed out ‘that as a result of rejection of the Bantu Authorities system by the people, the latter were brutalised and killed by the Government's agents of violence, Troops did not only shoot to death a number of the menfolk but chopped their heads off with bayonets. In addition, they caught pregnant women, forced them to lie.on their backs and then trampled on their stomachs until the women miscarried. . A number of women died as a result of this brutal assault, Elderly men who could hardly walk were beaten to death by the troops since such elderly people were unable to run away from their homes to avoid molestation, But in spite of such suffering the morale of the people was not broken. They were determined to fight against oppression and for freedom, Nothing short of the overthrow of the violent regime | would bring about: ‘the pedple's‘liberty. ~-
Solidarity Impresses
Two members of the executive of the people's organisation in the Northern Transvaal subsequently met members of the Head Committee of the Unity Movement. They declared that they were highly impressed by the solidarity of the people of Pondoland, who fought for freedom “under the banner of APDUSA. They had some ) telling things to SAY y “end we let them speak for themselves:
x spoke?"
"T am happy to be amongst you again. I am grateful to have mét the people of Pondoland. The people I -met are fighting for liberation, just as I an, ‘In-fact, I am awed by. the power which these people showed, It startled me. The unity I saw there is what I would like to see throughout the country. The spirit of the people makes me feel that we are not far from our goal. If only such spirit existed in all parts of the country it would not be long before we achieved liberation.
"We first met the people of Lusikisiki. I can say that I met men there in the true sense of the word. It made me feel small to meet a leadership so sincere in the struggle. Whilst I was surprised at -‘Lusikisiki I was even more surprised when I went to Bizana where “the people are even more powerful, They were very pleased to meet a delegation from Sekukuneland and spoke strongly on the need for unity.
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I was quite certain that we had met people sincere in the struggle .. for liberation. This is the road people ought to follow, . I told... them that we all wanted liberation and that they should send their leadership to visit us at home, On my return home I shall tell my people that though we have been in the struggle for a long time (intensified since 1958), the time has come for us to take this new step, as the people. of Pondoland have, They may not believe me when. I describe the fighting spirit I have witnessed and I feel that the Pondoland leadership should visit Sekukuneland and talk to the people there, : _ "TI am more than pleased; and if only the Free State people
(i.e., from Witzieshoek) can be brought along, I shall be a happy man. We must bring the people of the Free State into the Nation, as in Pondoland. When all the people speak the same language we can be sure. that liberation cannot be far off. I feel that when I reach home arrangements should be made for representatives from the Free State, Sekukuneland, Pondoland and Natal to meet and work out a policy for unity. On that day we must. gather and decide what is to . be done ‘for the people from all parts of the country. I maintain . that if the people respond in the manner that the Pondoland people © have, then liberation: will.be ours, I am extremely happy, and.yet | at some things I am sad; sad to think that not all the people are involved in the struggle with us or that I cannot be young again, How much time I-have wasted -- fighting at Tobruk and then being . ‘deported for ten years. But now the fight is really and truly for my country. I have a hatred for the ruling class that. I cannot express in words," mo pa spoke:
“Phere ‘is. ‘something I want to add ‘which will illustrate more clearly what we felt. I met a one-eyed man who had been in the forest for three years having left his home during the 1960 state of emergency in the Transkei. When on one occasion he returned home to seek food, he was warned by a young boy that some people armed with assegais and guns were lying in wait for him. The man insisted that he™ would go forward and said, 'If I must die, I'll die. But I shall - take some of them with me. I..cannot be afraid of men.t However he was persuaded to go elsewhere whilst the traitors. to the cause of freedom burnt his home and possessions. Now I say that if people had the spirit of this man, .we would be a true and brave people; although,. of course, there will be others who will sell their brothers:.for-sixpence. We need people of strength and character,
"At Bizana I met a young man, We were told how in the course of the struggle he was chased by a jeep and a helicopter. Even when the jeep stopped at a river, the helicopter continued. The young man ran for five miles, till he got to a hut. He could not speak, He just wanted water. They gave him some water to drink and a pin with which to remove the thorns from his body.. Only when. he had fin- . shed did he explain what had happened to him.. In spirit and.in .
heart, the young men in the area are like this one. If then we have the youth of this calibre, the Nation has good material. Our youth in the North are behind in that they still expect to get the cue from “their elders, .I shall be glad if the leadership: of Pondoland, when the youth come: over, helped ‘them. along in this direction,"
Making | a further contribution to the discussion x continued:
. "The. moment: you talk about the 'Parliamentt at Umbata you |... hurt the feelings of Pondoland, Talk about Bantustans and they feel like bursting. And if you mention churches, yau hurt their feelings to such an extent-that they cannot express themselves. -One man said. that. one of the first things we. should do was to remove the churches, I seconded him. We spend .so much money sending: our children: to school and when they qualify they sell us out. .
"Tike us in Sekukuneland the people of Pondoland reject Bantustans, We rejected Bantustans and any. chief who. accepted we felt should be killed or rejected by the people, It was different in. Pondoland where the chiefs accepted Bantustans although the people. did‘ not, The chiefs had been bribed and told to get the support of. the masses, Fortunately the people are on their guard against the. collaborators. The people of Pondoland have rejected the chiefs because of their collaboration and are instead looking to the Nation to achieve liberation. Now that some chiefs in Zeerust (Northern Transvaal) are also accepting the Bantustans system, we feel we shall rally the people just as. in Pondoland because when the chiefs act: . like that, that. is, as agents of the ‘oppressors, they! must: be.rejected. : The chiefs who have accepted the Bantustans system should go and live with their employers; they have no place in the Nation; they are outside it. I really hate’ people who are bribed and used | as instruments of oppression against their own people. .
“as for the people I have seen in Pondoland, -APDUSA is part of their: lives, If you asked them to give this up they would surely kill you. They will sacrifice everything to uphold their belief in. APDUSA. At one place they even put aside food until we had discussed, The strange thing is: that with the women folk too it is the same thing. Once they heard we were from APDUSA they said, 'Yes, these are the right people.' These people -=- men and women -- have sacrificed their very lives for this organisation. This is the impression you people give me. The spirit is the same here as in Pondoland. It is funny. I do not know what causes this, but people there and here act as though they were brothers and sisters. If this had been the case with other areas as well we would have gained liberation a long time ago. If people wish to form a government, this is the way to do it.
"T am sure that if such people could take over the government we would find a more civilised people running the country than the present rulers, The people of the type of leadership I have seen are so civilised and humarie that if they were to take over government | they would run the affairs of the country far better than the present
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rulers. The very fact that we:.are not treated as. human: beings com= pels. us to take over, Then we shall have a government that will cater for all human beings, and those who are opposed to that shall have to. leave the country. We are treated like dogs in our own fatherland and I am glad that we are taking such high decision so that we can show our oppressors how people ought to be treated.
ny am returning to Sekukuneland to report that I met APDUSANS and from now on all' the people must be comradely like APDUSANS. Nothing -should create divisions amongst: the people. As chairman of ny organisation I wish to. be guided to follow the correct road. I have come here to learn, <A leader who is not clear~minded is dangerous, for he is likely to lead the people over the precipice. Now I. know that it is important that all people unite in one. powerful © Nation. I shall be pleased to see this in my lifetime.
"Phere are people who, even though restricted by the Government, still continue to work. That is the spirit we want. We ought. to go forward, all of us, and defy the difficulties placed in our. . way. ‘But for the collaborators there must be no sympathy. They cannot be accepted as part of the Nation. It would (be iike keeping a snake in our own ‘pockets. De,
ty feel that the people of Sekukune land will also be pleased to learn that all racial groups are part of this Nation that. you. have set yourselves the task of building.: We must not allow the barriers that the Government created to divide us. All the oppressed must, come together. But the collaborators, whether African, Indian or Coloured have no place in: the Nation; even if they collaborate. in order to earn a living, they have lost their seats, Let us forget the churches “and | Eight our own battle with our children; and we will win. ne
This speaker than stressed how important it is to raise funds to conduct the struggle for liberation. All our energies. have to be devoted to:the task of fighting for liberation, Marriages have. : - to be delayed until the requisite fees have been paid and quarre is’ have to be: put: aside until liberation has been achieved.
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