THERE are so few programmes on television which resisting apartheid in South Africa, that Peter Taylor's "To the Last Panorama change.
The film was not only sympathetic to the black struggle, DUlL allowed participants to speak in their own words — we saw footage of ANC guerilla training values. trade union meetings inside South Africa, as well as discussions with a group of Soweto school students who were courageous enough reveal their identities on film, and inWinnie LOVINNS Mandela and other black leaders.
The film also conveyed some of the strength and urgency of the liberation struggle, while showing the nature of the enemy it is up against.
The Foreign Pik Botha revealed ruling class wille lacolog) well, and left no doubt that beyond certain point, be tampered 'Never' Botha replied, when asked if man, one vote would come to South Africa.
had Onc strong, line defence which is the stock-in-trade of apartheid propaganuists claimed that there isn't democracy anvwhere in Atrica: that there are one-party states, without proper elections. or freedom of expression, where political repression and censorship are the order of the day.
'You people don't understand Africa, he snarled. 'What right have you to criticise us?' Deny Of course, the lack of democracy in independent Alrica can t oe usca as di. argument to justify apartheid. but nevertheless this usually throws liberals the solidarity movement into contusion as they attempt to deny, or apologise repression in black Africa.
Precisely because there is so little freedom or genuine advancement for the masses in post-colonial Africa, it is important to present the point of view of those Drop of (15 June) came as a refreshing Nelson Mandela, imprisoned for life on Robbin Island know the extent to which the liberation movement in ferent political objectives Irom une poncal icauelships of the independent African states.
then, did Pete Taylor's film have to say about that? Unfortunateprecious little.
simplistic when it was not actually inaccurate or misleading. Exile For instance, the African National Con(ANC) was represented as the only significant political force the black movement, and its ideology was stated to be anti-capitalist.
In fact, while the ANC in exile is by far the most influential organisation, cannot claim to provide leadership of most current mass struggles South Africa Nor it a revolutionary organisation with socialist programme:
the support of the South Atrican Communist Party, the ANC claims to unite all class forces opposed to apartheid.
film's political analysis was also revealed by the silly contention that South African is surrounded by 'Marxist states' to the •North.
By Alexandra Feldman A more accurate observation, however, was that organised black labour is more Pretoria than the ANC guerilla struggle.
A briel but interesting sequence on a trade union meeting of black workers showed something of ahe SIGMA car vitality of black trade unionism and workers' struggles in South Africa but the commentary glossed over the implications of this by claiming that the workers and the guerillas were comrades in the same struggle.
reality complex than this. The upsurge of black militancy in South Africa has not only occurred independently of the ANC, but also bears little relation to the ANC's military strategy of confronting the Future The film also claimed that the Soweto generation of militant youth are crossing numbers to join the ANC the border guerilla forces.
While some have undoubtedly done so, it is also the case that when forced into exile by the repression at home, little future faces these young the inhospitable environment of the neighbouring territories unless they join the ANC which is poised to recruit them.
For socialists, the point is not so much to denigrate the ANC as to find effective ways of supporting mass struggles in South Alrica this task, Taylor's film does not help us very much.
day Conference on Namibia oroanised iointly bi the Africa Centre and the Namibia Support CommitSaturday, August. Contact Tony Humphries at the Africa Centre, 38 King St, London WC2 (01-836 1973)
for details. Winnie Mandela. banished and banned unde 405-re = 5
Socialist Challenge FASCIST thugs viciousattacked Socialist Challenge supporter Malone Saturday leaving her in a pool of blood with a fractured skull.
The fascists struck at 10.30 in the morning in The Other Bookshop Islington Sheila works. The bookshop in the same building as the offices of Socialist Challenge.
Sheila explained: 'They were pretending to buy badges when suddenly I was hit on the head with a lead filled cosh or an iron bar.
The attackers left a gruesome message:
Deathshead NSDAP, Death to IRA lovers and all Com munist scum, God save the Queen, Heil Hitler'. And on a cassette tape left in the shop they announced that all socialists and left wingers were now fair game for similar violent attacks. Others Even the police admit this was a political tremists