African Activist Archive

Mailing signed by Reverend Richard M. Wallace of St. Philip Lutheran Church, a Board Member of SAFTE. The mailing says recent news events point to the Protracted nature of the struggle against Apartheid in Southern Africa; the South African government in its attempts to consolidate it's illegal and immoral hold over the entire region of South Africa continues to assault the infra-structure of the Frontline states; yet, in spite of the continuing and increased aggression of the Apartheid Beast, the struggle continues to gain momentum; in this season of Easter ours is a belief that the defeat of Apartheid remains a matter of when rather than if. The mailing says the South African Freedom Through Education Foundation (S.A.F.T.E.) is looking beyond Apartheid; SAFTE is a non-profit organization which seeks to provide funding to South African and Namibian students for study in the United States; the intent for SAFTE arises out of the understanding that after Apartheid South Africa's primary need will be for people trained and educated in the fields and disciplines needed to run a country; given the insidious nature of Apartheid, currently the core of trained and educated personnel is much too small to effectively step in and assume the mantle of leadership; SAFTE's purpose is to counter this situation by funding the training and education of those who will assume the leadership in a non-racial society of a South Africa freed from Apartheid. In order to achieve this goal SAFTE will need the material, moral, and spiritual support of the community, and particularly the spiritual community; hence this letter to the churches. The mailing says in developing the kind of broad base support, SAFTE will be organizing several events and activities; the first event Candlelight Vigil is scheduled for the evening of June 16, 1987, 7 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church; the Candlelight Vigil will be to commemorate the Martyrs of the South African struggle. In preparation for the Candlelight Vigil, SAFTE is compiling a list of those martyred in the last five years. The mailing says should your congregation agree to adopt a martyr, in subsequent mailings SAFTE will provide the congregation with a brief biographical sketch of the adopted martyr, a certificate, suitable for framing of the congregation's adoption of a martyr, the date etc., and details of the June 16th, Candlelight Vigil.

African Activist Archive

[Dear Brothers and Sisters in Struggle:]

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