9 August 1983(1)
Allow me, on behalf of the African National Congress Women's Section and the oppressed women of our country, to convey to the Special Committee fraternal and revolutionary greetings on this important occasion, the International Day of Solidarity with the Struggle of Women of South Africa and Namibia -. 9 August -- South Africa's women's Day.
We accept with appreciation the opportunity accorded us to address this lofty body of the United Nations. The activities of the International Committee of Solidarity with the women of South Africa and Namibia are highly regarded and appreciated by the oppressed women of the two countries. This International Committee, composed of world women leaders, has indeed made great strides under the United Nations Special Committee’s slogan: “The time to act against apartheid is now.” Since its inception it has in various ways drawn the further attention of the world to the plight and conditions of women under apartheid. It is actively engaged in helping develop projects of women in the liberation movements. We are confident that its tireless efforts will yield good results. The ANC views this as yet another testimony to the Committee's unswerving commitment to the struggle being waged by the people of South Africa for the establishment of a free non-racial democratic State based on the will of all the South African people irrespective of race, colour, sex or belief.
As the progressive forces the world over observe the twenty-seventh anniversary of the march to Pretoria, the women of South Africa are looking back with a sense of achievement over the 71 years of their relentless participation in the national liberation struggle against colonial subjugation and Fascist oppression in South Africa, for as early as 1913 women like Charlotte Maxeke, who founded the ANC Women's League in 1918 - the current ANC Women's Section - has waged successful anti--pass campaigns for almost 40 years.
The 1913 campaigns coincided with the 1913 Land Act, which legalized the dispossession of the South African people of their land, leaving them with less than 10 per cent of the entire country. Thus, whilst our people were driven off their land to work for the maintenance of the white economy, the pass was to be used permanently to control the movement of blacks and curtail their development as a nation.
The late 1940s and early 1950s witnessed an intensification of the people's struggles, led by the ADC the Defiance Campaign of 1952 being one outstanding example of such struggles. This followed the takeover of power by the Nationalist Party in 1943, which responded with an escalation of repression and the extension of passes to women. This was one such form of repression. It was against this background that the Federation of South African Women was formed in 1954. Women from the Congress of Democrats, the South African Indian Congress, the Coloured People's Organization and the ANC Women's League organized themselves into a formidable force to fight the despicable pass system. Women from all walks of life nut up a fierce resistance; there was burning of passes and demonstrations were held nationwide.
The most impressive of such anti-pass campaigns was the one organized by the Federation of South African Women on 9 August 1956, when white Pretoria played reluctant host to over 20,000 women who had converged from all parts of South Africa. Their protest was directed at the notorious pass laws, which had brought much suffering under a myriad of restrictions for their men since 1390. They had organized themselves against tremendous difficulties and harassment. However, they defied the regime and chartered buses and whatever other transport t could find. In anticipation of the success of the demonstration, the regime banned all public gatherings in Pretoria that day. The women – undeterred - circumvented the ban, marched in twos and threes, leaving five or six paces apart. They gathered around the statue of Louis Botha and demanded to see Strijdom, who, fearing to face their militancy, refused to see them, Their leaders, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Amina Cachalia and Sophie Williams handed in stacks of petitions with over 100,000 signatures of people all over South Africa protesting against the pass lairs. The women stood in silence for 30 minutes and, with the Congress salute, broke out into a now well-known freedom song: “Strijdom, you have touched the women you have struck a rock; you have disloged a boulder -- you will be crushed”' and the National Anthem, “Nkosi Sikelel’i Afrika,” was sung.
While the 9 August march could not effect any changes in the pass system, the South African women's determination to continue their resistance against apartheid has not been quelled. The pass laws are still very much entrenched as the cornerstone of the apartheid racist machinery, and women continue to fight them relentlessly. Today South Africa has the highest prison population in the world, largely as a direct result of pass law violations. The number of arrests for ass offences in 1952 was 206,022 compared with 162,0214 in 1931. For most black South African women life is a constant round of hardships as they struggle daily to survive against the pervasive system of apartheid. The regime has in fact devised a unique form of institutional racism through the application of over 2,000 pieces of legislation designed to restrict the work, destroy the family life and indeed the very existence of the black majority. Apartheid's total disrespect of human life and values and its brutal repression of those who attempt to oppose it are unparalleled in the world today.
Several women have been victims of such repression; they have been placed under house arrest, banned, banished to remote areas, detained and put in solitary confinement, tortured and assassinated for their belief in a free and democratic South African society. Women who fall into these categories include the late Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Amina Cachalia, the late Mary Moodley, Winnie Mandela, Albertina Sisulu, Florence Mkhize, Francina Baard, Dorothy Nyembe, Thandi Modise, Barbara Hogan, Lillian Keagile, the late Linda Dlodlo, Ruth First, Jabu Nyawose, Feziwe, Burulani, and many more.
Today the South African people are confronted with an increasingly deteriorating political situation characterized by an escalation in brutal repression as the regime's response to the intensification of the struggle. These past few weeks have witnessed detention of trade unionists and South African army soldiers have marched on school-yards to subdue students' protests against the elimination of black teachers who are alleged to be teaching revolution. Several people have been murdered in the Ciskei for protesting against increased bus fares, hundreds have been arrested at Crossroads for opposing mass removals, and more have been assassinated for leading various struggles in different parts of the country.
The migrant labour system, the twin evil of the pass laws, which benefits the multinational corporations from the Western countries which stubbornly collaborate with South Africa; continues to destroy African family life. The Bantustan homeland system and the mass removals continue to denationalize millions of South African people turning them into foreigners in the country of their birth. Even though the notorious "Orderly Movement and Settlement of Black Persons Bill" known by our people as the "Genocide Bill" – has been postponed in Parliament, its implementation is daily taking place. Forced removals of our people from Modderdam, Driefontein and a squatter camp known as KTC are evidence.
In the 35 years of the Nationalist Party's existence, over 3 million Africans, 800,000 Coloureds and 400,000 Indians have been forcibly removed to make way for "white” South Africa. This is at a cost of over $4 billion which could have been used to provide housing, basic health and sanitary facilities. Women and children continue to be the worst victims of such atrocious conditions. Three to four children die every hour from starvation, hunger and disease in those so-called homelands where there are no means whatsoever of livelihood. Six million adult blacks in South Africa, the majority of whom are women, are illiterate. As a result the majority of them continue to earn slave wages as domestic and farm workers for whom the average work-week is 80 hours.
In pursuance of its policy of domination of the southern Africa region, the apartheid regime is building its military arsenal to alarming proportions.
South Africa has developed not only arms of conventional warfare but also a nuclear capability, thanks to the collaboration of the Western Powers headed by the United States of America. South Africa's military budget has reached the $3 billion mark. We know that South Africa cannot reasonably afford this, unless it is backed by transnational corporations which want to maintain the status quo, because it guarantees them maximum profits.
The increase in Pretoria's military budget cannot be divorced from the present military acts of aggression and destabilization of the countries neighbours of South Africa. These exercises take the form of economic blackmail aimed at political domination of these countries. These acts can be viewed only as pressures brought to bear on those countries to expel members of the liberation movement end thus delay the progress of our struggle.
The ANC Women's Section salutes the heroism of women right in South Africa who are fearlessly fighting the system. Several women's organizations have emerged under different names but all directed at the same common enemy - racist oppression and exploitation. This is borne out in their various united actions in their continued fight against the vicious pass laws, influx control, characterized by the Genocide Bill - the Orderly Movement and Settlement of Black Persons Bill - forced removals, the President’s Council proposals which undermine the black majority, increased rents, bus fares and food prices, while wages have been eroded by inflation.
The Federation of South African Women is one such effective organization which operates nationwide. It has organized people around ANC national days and taken up issues on political trials of ANC activists. Because of the Federation's long history of political struggles dating back to its inception in 1954, its members are always targets for police harassment. This past week, Mrs. Albertina Sisulu, who is 60 years old, and Amanda Kwadi who are officials of the Federation of South African Women were arrested for allegedly furthering the aims of ANC - they were arrested while organizing for the 9 August programme.
Women trade unionists are making history withtheir feats of courage in suchunions as the Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers, with a membership of between 25,000 and. 30,000 women and with Emma Mashinini as organiser, the Garment and Textile Workers Union, the Food, Sweet, Chemical and Textile Trade Union and the Labour Women's League. In these trade unions women are
fighting side by side with men in negotiations for better working conditions and a living wage.
On 3 June, the eve of the execution of the three ANC freedom fighters, nation-wide demonstrations against the executions were held. We clip our revolutionary banner in memory of those devoted sons of our motherland who were murdered by the Pretoria regime in flagrant violation of world public opinion. We recall with admiration the courageous words of Mrs. Sara Mlosololi to her son:
“Go well, my son. I love you. I am proud of you, because you are to die for your people. We will meet where you are going. You know the struggle will not end after your death.”
We pledge that their death will not be in vain.
On behalf of the ANC I should like to seize this opportunity to convey, through you, Mr. Chairman, and the Special Committee, . our deepest gratitude to the international community for the tremendous efforts made to try to save the lives of the three prisoners of war, Jerry Mosololi, Simon Mogoerane and Thabo Motaung. Exactly two months ago today these heroic freedom fighters of our movement were executed by the apartheid regime in defiance of the Security Council's resolution and other international appeals.
The democratic national character of the African National Congress is emphasized by the presence of women in all spheres of activity in the liberation movement. Externally, women within the ANC Women's Section not only run and manage such projects as the health clinics and child-care facilities for women but also occupy important political and administrative positions, such as in foreign diplomatic missions. Women have continued to join the ranks of
Umkhonto We Sizwe, the military wing of the ANC, in ever-growing numbers. Fighting side by side with their men they have played an invaluable role in armed revolutionary struggle. Women are also playing a major role in mobilizing women's groups in the anti- apartheid movement on the international front. Their activities involve political education, not only about South Africa, but also with regard to support for the United Nations call for the imposition of comprehensive and mandatory sanctions against South Africa. Much of the women's work is also geared to seeking political and material support for the ANC.
Next year we shall be marking the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the Federation of South African W'omen., a Federation that cut across the colour line and united all South African women in one mighty body. It is this body which organized the 9 August demonstration. We therefore take this opportunity to mention that, in order to paya tribute to the struggles of the women of our country over the years and in order to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the Federation in a befitting manner, the ANC will declare 1984 the Year of the South African Woman. We therefore urge all our sisters and friends in Africa and the world over to make 1984 a year of massive support for the struggle of the women and people of South Africa by taking the following actions: first, demanding the unconditional release of all political prisoners in South Africa; secondly, demanding that captured freedom fighters be granted prisoner-of war status in accordance with the relevant Geneva Conventions that cover armed conflicts in which peoples are fighting against foreign and racist regimes in exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence; thirdly, participating actively in the implementation of the United Nations comprehensive and mandatory sanctions against apartheid in South Africa; fourthly, mobilizing to show effective implementation of the arms embargo against racist South Africa; fifthly, intensifying material and diplomatic support for the independent African countries neighbouring South Africa; and, lastly, demanding that the issue of peace and apartheid be included on the agenda of the United Nations conference at the end of the Women's Decade.
In this year of united action as women of South Africa we pledge ourselves to intensify the struggle until apartheid has been eradicated, until the last bastion of colonialism and imperialism on the African continent has been overthrown and until South Africa is a free, democratic and non racist country that truly belongs to all who live in it.
We pledge to double our mutual support of our comrades-in-arms - the women of Namibia; the women of Western Sahara, led by Polisario; the women of Palestine, led by the Palestine Liberation Organization; the women of El Salvador, led by the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front; of Nicaragua; and of the front-line States.
Our deepest appreciation goes also to the support and solidarity provided us by our sisters in the socialist countries, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Caribbean countries, the front-line States and the progressive forces in the Western countries.
Long live the International Day of Solidarity with the Struggling Women of South Africa and Namibia.
Long live South African Women's Day.
The struggle continues; victory is certain.