African Activist Archive

Statement made by Johnnie Jackson at an Illinois Labor Network Against Apartheid (ILNAA) news conference. Jackson says the struggle for freedom of South Africa's black majority is our fight, too, because many U.S. corporations profit from South Africa's apartheid system, and the U.S. government under the Reagan Administration refuse to sever their cozy ties with South Africa. The theory of South African apartheid should be likened to that of the Nazi's white supremacy; conditions in South Africa also should be compared to slavery in the U.S. In 1987 alone, 28,000 people were detained for opposing apartheid. The leading force opposing the white-minority regime is the trade union movement, which has nearly two million people. We demand that the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Congress institute stronger sanctions to stop the flow of U.S. support, technology, resources and recognition to the white government in South Africa. Congress must pass the Cranston/ Dellums Comprehensive Sanctions bill. Multi-national corporations must divest. Royal Dutch Shell, the parent company of Shell Oil, must cease providing oil to South Africa's military and security forces. It is one of only five oil companies which violates the United Nations ban on selling oil to South Africa. Bishop Desmond Tutu, major South African trade unions, and the South African Council of Churches (SACC) are calling for the U.S. government and corporate America, particularly Shell, to stop doing business in South Africa until apartheid is destroyed. Ties to South Africa must be severed until apartheid is replaced by a democratic and free society. ILNAA is committed to the fight to get the U.S. government and corporations out of South Africa. With our international unions and labor federations, we call for freedom for Moses Mayekiso and all political prisoners in South Africa.

African Activist Archive

STATEMENT BY JOHNNIE JACKSON, PRESIDENT, COALITION OF LABOR UNION WOMEN, CHICAGO CHAPTER

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