ORGANISATIONS UNITE
Despite severe restrictions on anti-apartheid organisations and violent attacks on their members, residents of many townships appear to have sustained and expanded grassroots structures for organising resistance. At the national level, in October three major organisations, the United Democratic Front (UDF), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the National Education Crisis Committee (NECC) launched a joint campaign aimed at bringing together organisations in the different sectors of struggle against apartheid.
CLAMPDOWN ON ORGANISATIONS
Since June well over two hundred organisations have been banned under the emergency regulations from holding meetings in a total of over 80 magisterial districts in the Transvaal, the northern Orange Free State and the Cape. The government issued re-worded back-dated regulations to re-enforce these bans following a successful legal challenge brought by the UDF. In addition, restrictions on funerals were imposed in over 70 districts. It was not clear when the orders were due to terminate. In areas of the Eastern Cape restrictions on funerals of people killed during protests were renewed until December 1986. Trade unions and the majority of church groups are among the few organisations that are not banned from holding meetings anywhere in the country.(BBC 16.6.86, 20.9.86; see FOCUS 66 p.3, 67 p.8)
A large number of the estimated 20,000 people held in emergency detention by the end of 1986 belonged to local civic, student or youth or-ganisations. According to the UDF, almost all of its fifteen-person national executive was in detention or in hiding in October. A number of those released from detention – among them trade unionists, church workers, students, lawyers and journalists – have been placed under restriction orders for the duration of the State of Emergency to prevent them participating in specified organisations. Among the conditions contained in the few orders reported in the press were bans on participation in the activities of the UDF, local civic associations, regional church councils and the End Conscription Campaign. (See BANS and DETENTIONS in this issue)
In October the State President declared the UDF an affected organisation in terms of the Affected Organisations Act of 1974 which prevents organisations from receiving funding from abroad. The State President may declare an organisation 'affected' if he believes that it is engaged in politics 'in co-operation with... or under the influence of an organisation or person abroad'. According to the UDF's national treasurer, Azhar Cachalia, over half of UDF funds came from outside the country. Overseas funds already in the UDF's possession could not be spent, and a registrar was appointed to monitor UDF finances. In November the UDF brought an application in the Durban Supreme Court to have its status as an 'affected organisation' set aside. The case was adjourned until February. (DD 10.10.86; BBC 15.11.86)
A legal application by the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) against its banning in August 1985 was dismissed in October in the Durban Supreme Court. It is an offence to be a member of COSAS as it is a banned organisation in terms of the Internal Security Act. (S 2.10.86; see FOCUS 61 p.8)
ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURES
Since the banning of COSAS regional and local student and youth congresses have grown and increased in number. At a local level they have worked with civic associations to form street, block and area committees as alternative structures to the regime's local authorities. During the 1985 State of Emergency when many key local activists were detained, street committees learnt to operate clandestinely. They appear to have continued functioning in this way under the present Emergency, although little about these organisations is reported in the press.
The committees, elected by the residents they serve, involve both youth and adults. They may include trade unionists or members of the UDF or the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO); many are UDF affiliates. Their concerns are wide: they include organising health and social services; protecting people and property from vigilante forces; sustaining rent and consumer boycotts by maintaining communication among residents; and setting up alternative syllabuses for 'people's education'. The effectiveness of township organisation was illustrated last August in Soweto when rent boycotters fearing eviction by police received the immediate support of their neighbours. In ensuing conflict with the police 24 residents were killed. The funerals of those killed in the conflict were marked by a widespread work stayaway affecting up to 85 per cent of local industries.(S 11.9.86; S Star 21.9.86; Tel 17.11.86; see FOCUS 67 p.3)
Grassroots organisations have come under repeated violent attack not only from the police, but also from groups of vigilantes whose actions appear to be condoned by township authorities and police. At times vigilante groups have assisted in police operations. In Port Elizabeth in November they helped staff roadblocks after the resumption of the consumer boycott there, and in the Western Cape hired 'homeguards' systematically assaulted civic association members before handing them over to police custody.(WM 19.9.86, 17.11.86; see also OTHER TRIALS)
UNITED CAMPAIGN
With the aim of uniting all organisations opposed to apartheid the UDF, NECC and COSATU announced in October a National United Action Campaign. They called on all 'patriots' to fight for the lifting of the State of Emergency, the release of political prisoners, the establishment of 'people's education', the re-opening of schools, the halting of rent evictions, the right to a living wage, the right to strike and the unbanning of organisations. Forms of action were to be decided by local structures. A meeting to launch the campaign was banned under the Internal Security Act.(WM 3/17.10.86; S 9.10.86)
In November the UDF announced plans for a ten-day national boycott of shops over the Christmas period and a suspension of sports events. Christmas was to be dedicated to those who had died fighting apartheid and the more than 500 children in detention. The UDF called for a 'unity pledge' to be read at church services which would explain the campaign.(GN 13.11.86; BBC 15.11.86)
