The report says since the 1940s, Mr. DeKlerk's party has ruled South Africa with apartheid laws and an iron fist. The reports says it murdered and jailed untold thousands; forced 30,000 into exile; and created havoc in the entire region of southern Africa. The report says by 1990, the minority regime could no longer suppress its opposition by brute force; international sanctions had begun to hurt; general strikes were devastating; South Africa's economy was in shambles; and, a massive new Defiance campaign was in full swing. The report says the apartheid regime was forced to alter its tactics; it adopted a strategy of "reform" to get the international community off its back and to calm the...
The report says since the 1940s, Mr. DeKlerk's party has ruled South Africa with apartheid laws and an iron fist. The reports says it murdered and jailed untold thousands; forced 30,000 into exile; and created havoc in the entire region of southern Africa. The report says by 1990, the minority regime could no longer suppress its opposition by brute force; international sanctions had begun to hurt; general strikes were devastating; South Africa's economy was in shambles; and, a massive new Defiance campaign was in full swing. The report says the apartheid regime was forced to alter its tactics; it adopted a strategy of "reform" to get the international community off its back and to calm the fires of change internally. The report says by late 1991, CODESA (Convention for a Democratic South Africa) began talks with most SA political factions to negotiate the process of transition to a new democratic government; while CODESA talks go on, DeKlerk remains in power; but the last and final all-white election has been held; movement toward an interim government is slowing going forward through CODESA. The report says privatization and other structural changes continue at a fast pace in order to secure economic power in the hands of whites prior to a change in governments. The report says mass general strikes may take place to encourage political change to take place more rapidly; meanwhile, violence escalates, most of it due to government security forces and their main collaborator Inkatha, to undermine the liberation movement and powerful black trade union movement. The report says Chicago's sister community, Alexandra Township, has taken the heaviest toll in violence. It has a long history of militant opposition to apartheid. The report says attacks on union activists continue unabated; assassination hit lists include Metal workers leader Moses Mayekiso and COSATU General Secretary Jay Naidoo. The report says a carefully orchestrated plan of violence was put in place to strengthen DeKlerk's hand at the bargaining table, and the cynical myth of 'black on black' violence was created to demonstrate that black South Africans are unable to govern; that is why DeKlerk has not prosecuted people for the attacks, despite the fact that thousands have died. The report says this is the same regime that has found tens of thousands of blacks guilty of violating apartheid laws, even today. The report says elements within the regime plan, finance and participate in violent attacks on liberation groups; if DeKlerk must negotiate for a new South Africa, why not do so with the strongest possible hand? The report says we can protest the violence and the Bush Administration's funding to Inkatha; keep the pressure on DeKlerk by maintaining economic and financial sanctions at the state and local levels; push for the CODESA talks to succeed, and an interim government to take over during the transition to a democratic government; join in solidarity actions with SA trade unions, their struggle for democracy and economic restructuring will be a long, arduous one; exercise caution regarding visitors from SA, many of whom seek to undermine sanctions and are connected in one way or another to the DeKlerk regime and apartheid's homeland structures. The report discusses F.W. de Klerk, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and COSATI (Congress of South African Trade Unions).
