emergency - Computer Science

Wits 

Volume 38 No g 

24 July 1986 

A SASPU AFFILIATE 

CENSORED: under 

emergency 

regulations 

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Et 

\< 

12tu 

Would 

\ you 

buy a 

reform 

package 

from this

wfiNEWDi!!! 

Rhodes 

Scholarship 

The regulations, however, were 

amended a few days larer, ro 

include organisations meeting in 

the townships of the Roodepoort 

and Johannesburg districts. 

Applications for the Rhodes 

Scholarships for 1986 close on 1 

September, 1986. Leader 

Candidates must normally be in 

possession of a first degree and 

ship 

have attained such results as to 

satisfy the admission requirements F\-rr 

of the University of Oxford. Detained 

Candidates are judged in terms of The role of students within the 

the criteria by the Will of Cecil institution of the Universitv is a 

John Rhodes, which include contentious issue which rhe state 

literary and scholastic attainments, seems to be taking care of. 

qualities of leadership, feelings of Ciaire Wright, SRC President 

compassion for ones fellows and and BSS President Dali Moofu 

enjoyment and success in sports. have been detained. 

Rhodes' Will expressly provides On Thursday 26 June, Claire and 

that "no student shall be qualified Dali were on campus to speak to a 

or disqualified for election to a senior member of the University 

Scholarship on account of his race Administration. 

or religious opinions". 

t 

Candidates for election to Rhodes - 

.D' 

Scholarships for 1987 must be 

under 27 as at I October, 1987. In 

addition, there is also a five-year 

At around noon 

residence qualifi 

the following 

cation. 

day, with pressure from 

For 

Admini - 

full details, write to the 

stration, Claire and Dali's 

General Secretary for Rhodes 

detention was confirmed. 

Scholarships, P. O. Box 41468, 

Craighall,2024. 

SRC 

Banned 

The SRC, and other 

organisations under its 

F 

The house in Berea that C1aire 

shares with other students was 

jurisdiction, were temporarily These students, fwo of whom are 

banned from meeting last week. Executive members of the SRC, 

In the Government Gazette No weretakentolf 

10347, of rhe 7 July 1986, all and -They 

were later 

meetings heid in Johannesburg and 

Roodepoort 

'under -b 

the auspices of Claire plays an active role in the 

or with the assitance of the SRC progressive shtdent movement. She 

were banned. A contravention of was Projects Committee Chair - 

the banning could have led to a 

sentence of 'R10 person for 1984185 and was rhe 

000 fine or ten Law representative on the SRC for 

years in prison'. 

that year. Claire's position as SRC 

The SRC sent out an urgent Presidenthis year has placed her 

notice to all organisations under its in a high prohle position, she is on 

jurisdiction to comply with this the Nusas Executive and was oart 

regulation. The affected groupings of the delegation that visited the 

were all Faculty Councils, the AII ANC in March this year. 

Sports Council, al| 67 SRC Dali has a long history of 

committees and societies,' WitS involvement in the democratic 

Shrdent'and Voice of Wits. movement. He has been detained 

Subsequent events on campus on 

that day were shown nationally on 

Bop TV and internationally - an 

estimated 1,5 billion people saw 

police beat up Wits students. 

SABC-TV showed no coverage of 

the events. 

Charges have been withdrawn 

against Ronnie Makgosi. 

The accused who were not 

among the demonsfrators have had 

their charges withdrawn. The 

remaining students and academics 

represent a wide spectrum of 

campus organisations, some of 

these include: Methsoc, Fine Arts 

Students Union, BSS, 'wits 

Srudent', Womens Movement and 

thc SRC. 

Sebotag 

at 

Saspu 

The ottices of 'Saspu National 

have been bumed, 

'Saspu 

National"s production 

office, in Freeway House, 

Braamfontein, has been completely 

gutted, and attempts were made at 

burning its other work rooms. The 

Archives were completely 

desffoyed. 

'Saspu National' is a maior 

project of the South African 

Students Press Union (Saspu). 

il c$€ or Ail emgnoApr, 

utr HtNDrt ro $r rutu 

Ug?clrrffi FoR tlt'lweinNnD uS. 

l\/l ind. 

blast 

blaste 

The annual Saspu Multi-media 

Mindblast was banned. 

Mindblast, a national gathering 

of the south African Students Press 

Union (Saspu), was due to take 

place in Cape Town , during the 

July vacation. 

Steve Kromberg, Saspu 

President, applied for permission 

to hold Mindblast when the State of 

Emergercy was declared on June 

12. Instead he received a bannins 

order. 

Student journalists from all 

Saspu newspapers wer expected to 

attend Mindblast. 

estimated readership of 250000. 

A student newspaper that focuses 

on community and political action 

and events, |- 

!-- 

5ce its inception in 1979, 

, National' journalists have been the 

target of much state repression and 

'National' has been banned for all 

future editions a number of fimes. 

Appeals that have been won 

against these bannings have made 

more space for progressive 

organisations to function and 

distribute their media. Of 

particular significance is the legal 

gains that have been made towards 

appealing for the unbanning of the 

Freedom Charter. 

Other organisations based in 

Freeway House were also victims 

of the attack. Media and Resource 

Service (Mars) had its darkroom 

destroyed and Setbold, a 

typeletting company, has reported 

that a large amount of equipment 

has disappeared. 

Saspu is a union that has about 45 

affiliated papers, these include the 

official publications on the five 

english campuses - 'Wits Student', 

'Varsity'(UCT),'Rhodeo' The totai estimate value of 

(Rhodes),'Dome' damage is R150 000. 

(Durban) and 

'Nux'(PMB). 

Community Research 

Mindblast is an educative Information Cenne (Cric), Release 

conference that focuses on media Mandela Campaign (RMC) and 

skills and issues concerning the Visual Action also have offices in 

progressive student press in South the building. 

Africa. 

This is not the first time Saspu 

has faced state repression. Last 

year during the State of 

Emergency, the annual Saspu 

Congress was banned from taking 

place in Cape Town. The Congress, Johannesburg Democratic Action 

where policy decisons are made for Committee (Jodac). This was 

the forthcoming year, was held a thought to be a right wing strategy 

few days later in Durban. 

to discredit all the organisations. 

to Sam Stein who had three 

photographs published in the 

edition of Wits Student ,but 

which did not acknowledge hi 

name. The photos are a poli 

on P.7; A crowd holding up thei 

A similar , but less vicious, attack 

was aimed at these organisations 

last year. Graffiti was sprayed on 

the exterior of the building, 

'signed' 

by the End Conscription 

Campain (ECC) and the 

A'Saspu National' spokesperson 

doubts that the fire was 'an 

accident'. 'The attack was 

obviously aimed at making us 

completely incperative - bannings, 

in the past, have failed.' 

A'National"s correspondent's 

house has also been luebombed in 

Durtran. 

Emerging activities' 

aaaa 

aaaa 

* name a black resettlement area "Beirut" 

* plant a tree and hope it'll get more than tear-gas to water it. 

* Watch the Weekly Mail for ads to Transport U Overseas' 

* Go for a picnic at the Zoo Lake - only 2 people allowed, 

outdoor meetings are iilegal (and if it rains, indoor meetings 

are illegal too). 

* Get'V' for inspiration 

* Watch the Three Muskateers in action - Botha, Botha and 

Buthelezi. 

* Escape to Mauritius 

* Fly to Lusaka to fly SAA to London 

* Mourn the untimely passing of freedom of speech, 

association and the press. 

* Don't be a 

'Witness 

to Apartheid' 

* Remember there's only a semantic difference between'Wit 

Doek' and'Blou Rok' 

* Go to sleep and hope the last three weeks have only been a 

nightmare 

* Meditate to Violent Femmes 

'Children of ttre revolution' 

* Change your pantihose. Wearhg'active'could get you 

detained. 

* Become a statu symbol - get your name printed in WM's 

'Apartheid Barometer' 

* Realise the emergency is not meetiag 3other people in the 

same Kappa facksuit. 

* Remember the struggle isn't trying to resist that last piece of 

cake - nor is it trying to get into your jeans. 

* Explore the possibility of RAG becoming a front for 

Radically Anti- Government organisations. 

* Join the 30000 'Sin City' workers who rise at dawn to make 

wildest fantasies come true 

* Apply for a passport - a British one 

* Take a 180 dav holidav 

* Continue to play ostrich 

* Start supporting Naas (in Northhampton colours) 

* Have a fiery parry - burn ail your banned literature 

* Ask Howe much longer this will go on 

+ Ask if anyone can 

'See 

Claire-ly now' 

* Phone PW at 4.00am every morning until the emergency is 

lifted and play This is the End'by The Doors 

* Realise that Grassroots Democracy isn,t just sharing a joint 

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Wits Student Pase 4 

1-- 

Viva V!! 

It is reckoned that approximately 

two million South African viewers 

switched on to 'V'; the 10-hour 

mini-series which ended its run on 

television two weeks ago. Not bad 

for a show originally scheduled for 

children's hour. 

What are the reasons for the 

surprising success of this series? 

Wat it the underlying merit of the 

yarn, or perhaps the costumes and 

special effects? Or it it just that 'V' 

was the right programme, at the 

right time and in the right place? 

South Africa, 1986.... 

Admittedly, the South African 

public is uniquely sensitized right 

now, to the issues and vaiues which 

'V' has exposed us to. Since the 

newest media curbs mean news 

bulletins are a waste of time. we 

may learn more about what could 

be happening within our borders, 

by watching a highly coloured, 

undoubtedly escapist sci-fi 

"blockbuster" such as 'V'. The 

parallels are patently obvious 

With this in mind, perhaps 

'V' 

should have been declared 

'un - 

desirable', or 'subversive' even. 

After all, I noticed amongst the 

credits in the first instalment" some 

words to the effect that " this series 

is dedicated to the spirit of 

resistance, Worldwide". 

"Ja, and pacifically Sow 

Theffrica - what wittr red overalls 

nogal, those aliens were a dead 

grveaway the lot of 

them. It's the cosmic total 

onslaught, I tell you!" - I wonder 

how many viewers came to the 

correct conclusions, mutatis 

mutandis? 

"Hmm, what a gem," as Jeremy 

Dawes would say - 'V'had much 

to commend it. Evocative theme 

music contributed immeasurably to 

the tension and lizardine chill; the 

accompanying sound effects were 

similarly superb. Acoustically 

distorted voices made the visitors 

irrebuttably alien, despite their 

appearances and assurances. 

Augmenting their pervasive 

presence was the continous 

humming of the flying saucers, 

suspended above every city, each 

with 3 million lizards aboard. distending in spine,chilling 

diameter 3 miles! 

Likewise, the visual and special 

effects were brilliant: to me. the 

most shocking moment came 

during a fight sequence, when 

Donovan ripped off an alien's 

rubbery face to reveal a scaly, 

spitting reptilian visage. Marc 

Singer as Donovan, the resistance 

hero, was a dynamo of nervous, 

reptilian fashion. Later on, she 

consunmated our revulsion with 

her as she casually crunched off a 

little birdy's head, much as we 

eartNings would enjoy a biscuit. 

Throughouthe series, there was 

this marked contrast between the 

revolting alien-ness of the Visitors, 

and the elaborate facade which the 

general public saw on TV and or 

wide-eyed energy : a champion for tfre streets. 

'V' 

the resistance cause. 

really had it all: the heroes, 

I'm sure everybody loved-tohate 

the fascinatingly diabolical 

Diana, especially once she 

swallowed a squirming, furry 

guinea pig with relish, her throat 

the villains, the sellouts, stool 

pigeons, and the traitors to both 

sides. There were leadership 

quarrels. and confrontations, again 

on both sides, but the resistance 

MREQUIRES 

DYNAA/TrcW 

fighters overcame thei( 

altercations by striving for the 

super-ordinate goal of freedoni 

from oppression. 

Ultimately, the resistance 

movements were triumphant in 

their struggle and the extent of 

their organization. Sensing they 

might "inherit a wasteland", the 

aliens chose defeat instead, 

retreating into the galaxy with a 

whoosh... 

Evidently, there was a switch of 

producers in the flnal episodes, and 

it showed. The denouement was 

abrupt and messy, and what, we 

ask, was the fate of the horid 

Diana?...Y2? 

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rlrcBilrk 

SICLA}!N{IONAL MNX I IM'TIO ' TEGISTIRED MIX 

BARKERM@rM C'O68/2

il IITU'P f Efif I T'I'58 E EFSEffiil 

The shape of things 

Repression is the key to establishing the new Regional Services 

Councils - building blocks for a future apartheidsociety. 

According to leading SADF 

figures, the SADF's new combat 

plane, the Cheetah, compares 

favourably with the best in the 

world in terms of its speed, 

weapons systems and 

monoeuvrability. 

The unveiling of the Cheetah last 

week served as a morale booster 

for government supporters and 

right wingers generally. 

At the same time it provided a 

sobering insight into how the 

government intends to pave the 

way forward to the future of peace 

and prosperity which government 

leaders continue to talk about. 

Whilst &e Cheetah may appear to 

be invincible, the governments 

reform plans do not present a 

similar pi*ure of infallibiiity. 

Reform, in case you've 

forgotten, is the process by which 

PW Botha undertook to lead all 

South Africans towards a future of 

murual goodwill and stability. 

Considering the prevailing 

circumstances, you might be 

forgiven for being under the 

'reform' 

impression that the 

process had fallen by the wayside. 

In fact 'reform' continues and 

has in many ways picked up in pace 

over the course of the past year. 

RSC's 

One of the key elements of the 

govemments reform package is the 

proposed creation of Regional 

Service Councils (RSCs). 

Understanding how the proposed 

RSCs fit in with other recent steps 

taken by the government, such as 

the scrapping of the pass laws, the 

disbanding of the regional 

Cevelopment boards, the creation 

of new Executive Commrrrees as 

substitutes for the Provincial 

Councils, and the adoption of what 

the government describes as a 

policy of 'orderly urbanisation', is 

essential to understanding the long 

term future that the government 

envisages for South Africa. 

The RSCs are envisaged as multiracial 

co-ordinating bodies for the 

frnancing and provision of services 

in South Africa's metroooiitan 

regions. 

Each RSC is to be made up of 

representatives appointed by the 

various racially autonomous local 

authorities (municipalities) in the 

area for which it is responsible. 

The RSCs will be responsible for 

hard services' (housing, ftansport, 

water, electricity, sewerage), while 

local authorities continue to 

administer 

soft 

The scars of the revolt 

imposed taxes. 

services'(eg.parks ). 

Thus for example, an RSC for 

the Witwatersrand metropolitan 

area, would, as the government 

envisages, be composed of 

representatives from each of t-he 

local ccuncils or municipalities - 

black, 'coloured'. Indian and 

white, in the area. 

Each local authority will be 

allowed to nominate one 

representative to the RSC for eaclllVo 

(or part thereof) of the RSC 

provided services which it 

consumes. 

As a result, from the start, 

representation on the RSCs will be 

weighted in favour of areas which 

consume the highest proportion of 

services (ie mainly white areas). 

For the RSCs to work, 

functioning municipal bodies have 

to be in existence. At the moment 

'coloureds', Indians and most 

blacks do not have autonomous 

municipal bodies to represent 

them. 

Rejected 

It is worth noting that existing 

local authority structures, other 

than in white areas, have been 

widely rejected by the communities 

whom they are supposed to 

represent. In the Eastern Cape, for 

example, nearly 70 percent of the 

50 black councils are nonfunctional 

because they have been 

totally rejected by the 

communities. At present, onlv 

response to local authority 

those who are regarded as 

collaborators with the apartheid 

system have been prepared to 

associate themselves with the 

councils. 

The RSCs will be tunded by a tax 

on salaries and a tax on total 

turnover both of which are to be 

paid by employers, 

This 'indirect' approach to 

taxation is designed to avoid the 

kind of upheavels that resulted 

from the resistance of black 

communities to direct taxes 

imposed on them by the black local 

authorities. 

Although those taxes will not be 

allowed to be deducted from wages 

or passed on to prices, this is what 

will inevitably happen in the long 

run. In the end, black township 

dwellers, many of them already 

facing the direst poverty, will bear 

the brunt of financing the RSCs. 

Through the RScs the 

government hopes to achieve a 

number of objectives. 

Uiban revolt 

Whilsr in the past it had hoped 

that township dwellers would 

finance the provision of services in 

their own townships, the urban 

revolt of the past few years has 

shown this approach to be 

unworkable. 

Through the RSCs the 

government intends to provide a 

broader base for financing the 

development of township services. 

The structure and financing of the 

RSCs , and in particular their 

multi-racial nature, is intended to 

ensure at least a slightly improved 

source of revenue for financins the 

townships. 

Thus. while on the one hand the 

government continues in its 

intention of absolving itself from 

responsibility for financing 

township growth, on the other 

hand it hopes to defuse the 

township revolt by involving 

township dwellers in these 

relatively powerless strucfures and 

by making living conditions in the 

townships slightly more tolerable. 

With the major black political 

organisations set firmly against 

anything other than unified nonracial 

municipalities in a united and 

democratic South Africa. it is 

unlikely that black Sou& Africans 

will see the RSCs as anything other 

than yet another apartheid body 

imposed on them from above. 

Coupled with rhis is the fact that 

:here is very little to suggest that 

:he RSCs will substantially 

;redistribute resources to finance 

rrrban development in the black 

townships. What redistribution 

does occur is iikely to benefit only 

small sectors of the black urban 

population. 

Thus, even before the first RSC 

has been established government 

plans for third tier government - 

the RSCs and the local authorities - 

appear to be based on extremely 

uncertain ground. 

Second tier 

Second tier government is also 

being subjected to major 

rFcfnrahrrino 

Evidence is that the existing 

provincial structures are to be reorganised 

into eight (or nine) new 

'developmental regions'. These 

new 'provinces' will, it appears, 

cross-cut existing provincial and 

banrustan boundaries. 

ln the past the four provincial 

councils have been responsible 

primarily for white affairs while 

13'development boards' regulated 

black urban Iife on the second tier. 

Now the white elected provincial 

councils and the government 

appointed development boards are 

being scrapped. In their place State 

President PW Botha has appointed 

mult-racial executive councils 

(Exco's) for each of the provinces. 

Transitional 

The Excos are responsible only 

to the government, It appears that 

(continued overleaf)

l-lll - lt!- tt - - 

Law 

students 

conf used 

Some law students have been left 

in the lurch .One of their senior 

lecturers has been detained. 

Crimonology and Aspects of 

Law students have important 

projects to complete for their years 

course. These projects need 

supervision and guidance by the 

Iecturer. 

Raymond Suttner, a supervisor 

for many of these projects, is now 

unable to fulfil his role as a 

lecturer. Mr Suttner has been 

detained under the 6 week old state 

ofemergency. 

In addition, many of the project 

topics may be regarded as 

'subversive' under emergency 

regulations. It is evident that 

rcsearching tlese projects presetrts 

a problem for the studetrts 

although 

concerned. 

Further, while shrdents maY have 

Min,i,$-tg.t 

cabinet Minister was narrowly 

averted during the vacation 

Minister Danie Steyn, in his 

capacity as Minister of Mineral and 

Energy Affairs, wzls to have 

opened the 1986 Geological 

Congress which took place at Wits 

during July. 

But when word of the Ministers 

impending visit got out serious 

reservations were expressed about 

the wisdom of the move. This led 

to the opening cermony being 

moved to the Johannesburg College 

of Education (JCE)-- and to the 

boycott of the opening ceremony 

oy afew delegates. 

A member of the Geology 

department told Wits Student: "At 

a time when South African 

academics are being boycotted 

Continued from pgs 

they will serve as a kind of 

'transitional government' whose 

purpose will eventuallY be to 

dissolve and form new second tier 

administrations for the eight or 

'provinces' 

nine new 

or 

'development regions" 

As for the RSCs, it is not as Yet 

clear how many there will be' 

Some government Planners 

envisage ttrat RSCs should onlY be 

appointed in South Africas six or 

seven major metroPolitan cenEes. 

More ambitious government 

advisors however envisage RSCs 

bens. established in smaller 

Detr:opohtan centres thtou ghout 

the countrY. 

In the urban areas housing, 

squatting and vagrancY laws will 

perform the function the Pass laws 

used to serve. While the 

-government is now Providing for a 

Ermanent biack wban Dopulation, 

been able to arange interviews and 

visits into the townships, for this 

research, the regulations restrict 

this. Besides which, many of the 

interviewees are now either in 

detention or hiding. 

These restrictions are also 

applied to the iDterviewing of 

certain 'banned' or 'restricted' 

organisations. 

Confusion reigns in the Law 

deparbent. 

Many sfudents have been forced 

to change their Project toPics, 

it has been asserted that 

their difficulties would be taken 

into accounl 

, 

' 

'; 

l:. !:' 

;,' :t: 

ABOUT GRAFFITI 

Graffiti is the writing on the wall 

the writing on the wall as at Western 

Heroes die young 

In Noordgesig you'll see graffiti 

Why Lort can't we live tosether? 

Smeared on a wall in Eldorado Park 

L.ove is? 

In an alley somewhere 

Sex in unlimited. 

Grathti is painted on a wall 

in Disfict Six 

Welcome to Fairyland. 

Graffrti can move too 

Graffiti worms out of noses 

of slumkids 

Graffrti crawls in piss 

Calls itself V.D. 

Clogs in pri apic places-hwts 

Bob Marley shouts reggae 

from township caGs 

'A hungry man 

is an angry man 

Graffiti'. 

international journals are refusing 

to accept contributions from South 

Africans, it was a sillY move to Graffiti is a dirty child 

have a Minister of government who scratches for sweets 

open this international conference. and himself 

In the current political climate in rubbish dumps 

one could go further and saY that it 

Graffiti is the gang 

was a thoughtless and Provocarive the gang who burnt a nice{ime 

decision". 

chenie 

"Moving*te operung cennony to 

and left her beirind the shoPs 

JCE at ieast managed to distance 

for dogs to eat off her left ieg 

the Congress from the minister in 

somesmall part. But it would have Craffiti is children playing 

been wiser not to have invited him around broken live wires 

in rtre fint place." 

and the Electicity Departrnent 

A number of local and fixing it 

international delegates are after somebody has burnt to death 

understood to have boYcotted the has been shocked through the 

opening ceremony. Thereafter the conduits 

of his slum ignorance 

congress proceeded without 

incident. 

still effecnvely be excluded from 

the cides through the operarion 

of these laws. 

Restructurin g 

Through reorganising second 

and third tier structures. the 

government hopes to provide the 

basis for restrucruring the entire 

sysiem of first rier government. 

Ultimately the government hopes 

to dispense with the overtl), racist 

from of its existing structures. 

whilst still ensuring that the 

majorirl' of South Africans are 

unable to fundamentalll' challenge 

the present srarus quo which retarns 

power and wealth in the hards of a 

minority. 

In doing this government leaders 

are well aware that they will have 

to smash the threat posed to them 

by organisations representing the 

,Jemocratic aspirations of black 

lI 

..' 

When one black child tells another 

'Ek sal jou klap 

dan cross ek die border' 

it's graffiti 

and 

when another child says 

'l don't like Vorstra and Kruga 

because they want us 

to speak Afrikaans' 

Graffiti screams from a sonorous 

woman 

as the hymens of her sani$ rupture 

suddenly 

in a night 

Graffiti shouts from the lips of a 

township 

Kyk voor jou, die Welfare sal agter 

jou kyk 

Graffiti calls Soweto Sovieto 

Graffiti is a scar on the face 

The mine dump is graffiti 

A cockoach is graffiti 

Candle grease is graffiti 

A rabid dog is graffiti 

Adrenalin and blood in the 

townships, 

that's graffiti 

Soon graffiti will break loose 

into an ugly plethora - 

ddft into Jo'burg 

soil share certificates 

deface billboards 

dishonour cheques 

drown managers, eierks, executives. 

Soon Graffit will wade into Jo'burg 

unhampered by the tourniquet of 

influx control, 

CHRIS VAN WYK 

Graffiti has lon-s been a popular vehicle for free expression. The 

anonomity which graffiti provides, allows people to air views 

which they might not want to be publically associated with. At a 

time when virtually any kind of political statement runs the risk 

of being declared "subvenive" - graffiti has provided an avenue 

for free expression. 

Since graffiti reaches a wide and indiscriminate audience, it is 

capable of reflecting a wide range of social, economic and 

political situations. 

Graffiti is frequently satirical and can be srikingly cuning. The 

humour in evidence often belies the more serious reality. 

"See the world - Buy a Atlas" advises Craffiti in Maraisburg - a 

squalid "Coloured" location. 

An anguished city dweller enquires: "Is there life before 

death?" Whilst somewhere else: "Why you looking so happy? Is 

there something you don't know?" 

"Your son could also die wearing browns." 

"Troops out of the townships". 

Slogans drip from walls virnrally all over the country, and even 

in Sekhukhuneland, on a boulder, on top of a koppie -" TAMBO" 

"STOP THE BILLS" urges a corner in Jan Smuh avenue, whilst 

beneath a poster of P W Botha's picture appears the declaration: 

"S.A.'s threat to peace." 

Graffiti such as this is not merely "one off thing" but is a

pageT 

- 

Where have all our leaders gone 

1^clrrr|cnlcnnr|frwn.^rl.^''^}^.^I-'^-^..'.}:^-^..'^_f^-\t':r.],-^.' 

14 students and trvo 

academic staff members are 

in detention 

It is not hard for them to forget 

that the renewed State of Emerg - 

ency is into its 6th week. For many 

others it might seem that it has 

served its purpose in quelling 

unrest. The newspapers are devoid 

to information concerning 

incidents of statelll 

For certain Wits students and 

staff members, however, the 

effects of the State of Emergency 

have been very real: A change of 

lifestyle (and appearance) has 

become essential for some students 

not have to rely on cryptic news 

reports to remind them that all was 

not quiet. 

On Thursday, 12 June (the day 

the emergency was declared) 

Raymond Suttner / a UDF S.Tvl 

executive member and lecturer in 

the law department - was arrested 

f Whathappened? 

Two days later, on the Saturday 

night, Glyn Thomas House in 

Soweto, 

forced into hiding because of their 

political involvement. Students 

who returned to their homes in the 

towhships during the vacation did 

f ost Gradl 

GoIumn 

- 

f|! The truck taking then 

away was ---l 

refused to stop singing. The 

majority were released, but nine - 

including Chris Ngcobo former 

BSS president - have not returned. 

Many Glyn Thomas students 

were forced to miss exams due tc 

the conditions they faced'living in 

Soweto. 

On Thursday the 26 June 

Claire Wright (SRC President). 

Dali Mpofu (BSS President) came 

-. 

That night,-Ir 

ffi. 

-Jubillee 

Hall 

What happened-F 

- (I Exec member) is still ir 

detention. 

-NUSAS 

members residing in Jubillee anc 

- 

Barnato Hall |EII 

For Wits students belonging to 

AZASO and NUSAS sub 

committees, the holidays have been 

disrupted and a student commun 

in Berea was firebombed. Norma 

SRC activities have been curtailed 

Those students in detention have 

been allowed study materi'a 

near fufure. 

Whiie srudents in a white libera 

university always enjoy more spac 

in which to make known their 

rejection of the apartheid system 

the increased attention paid to Wits 

studentsr-rshould 

serve as a reminder that 

repression throughout the counFy 

has not abated. Many. people fee 

the current emergency is viewed as 

a'- 

attempt by the 

state tolll 

the democratic 

movement. we must not allow 

ourselves to be fooled into thinking 

that the situation has b e e n 

normalised, and that nomality 

indicates improved conditions for 

the majority of South Africans. 

The conditions under which these students and staff are being 

held can only be speculated about. Some, at least, have been 

allowed study material, but after almost 30 days of confinmenl 

possibly 

-, even this cannotbe toogreatacomfort. In 

the last state of emergency a number of students and staff spenthe 

entire eight months in detention, (one srudent obtaining a degree 

in the final examinations 

1985) - how long must we now wait 

before some namelesskte functionary decides that our friends 

and colleaguer are no longer a threato "public safery". 

Equally distressing have been the poiice raids on the homes of 

students aqd staff. Over 100 students have been affected by these 

raids, some of whom were woken up in the early hours of days on 

which thsy were writing exams.p 

atan exam inthe hope of Ip. 

Eof 

students has taken place: a shrdent home 

in Berea Johannesburg was petrol bombed and badly damaged, 

while the offices of the South African Student Press Union(Saspu) 

just 100 meters from campus, were destroyed by fire. Midnight 

phone calls, being followed by unmarked cars and a number of 

other tactics have been employed against those students who have 

involved themselves in student government. 

The Post Graduate Association view all these developments with 

great concern. We reiterate our call for the unconditional release 

of all detained in the past months. We call on the Wits 

administation, which has thus far provided admirable support for 

those affected by the emergeny, to redouble its efforts to secure 

ttre release of our colleges. 

,l**'t********* 

The PGA has already begun work on a handbook for 

Postgraduate students, to be disfibuted in January next year. 

Suggestions and advice are very welcome and can be sent to the 

Harry Dugmore c/o Resource Centre, Students Union (lnternal 

mait). 

ItnL0ifB0 

Aw Lt Plolow o[, Jozz 

^\L a/rnaph o(c\ as i{poiena* 

tu1.!) llo.ryArrvx 

FaLiv& t9s6 

4i 

The past month of vaction has been one in which most postgraduates 

have been slogging away at thesis and dissertations as if 

"holidays" were the preserve of those registered for "lo-rver" 

degrees. But not all post-graduates, or staff, or undergraduates 

were able to enjoy either research or relaxation during July. At 

least 15 students were detained, many of them in the first days of 

the 

emergency, aad a number of staff members have also "gone 

missing", 

fr'-b-fr-Lnfl-L- 

El.9U ^ruu AY A ND .tATUCpA 

IflCHIJ 3TAeTlNcf Au6U51 I-; Z3 

3'7AI\=,'Ij,,/- La*e !l

- 

The South African Government is faced with 

the problern of trying to make the necessary 

modifications to apartheid to ensure their 

continued maintenance of control. 

They cannot seem to come up with the right 

formula. 

Prior to the emergency, resistance was growing 

rapidly. The housing and land shortages, 

unequal education and unemployment were 

being made more severe by the failing economy. 

And the system of local and national 

government was being challenged from all 

quarters. 

In the white community, 10 000 stuclents voted 

for NUSAS to speak to the ANC. The 'Call to 

Whites' Campaign drew much support for the 

UDF, and many people believed the troops 

should leave the townships. 

Today, in the black communities, and in the 

factories, people are not just defending 

themselves against their oppression and 

exploitation, - they are taking control of their 

own lives. 

The discredited Cornmunity Councils are 

being replaced with street and area committees 

which are democratically organising the running 

of their community. 

Trade Unions have organised themselves into 

effective structures that are able to challenge 

management to pay living wages, and they have 

lvon many victories. 

In the schools, the Bantu Education system is 

giving way to a people's education, devised and 

implemented by the pupils and parents 

themselves. 

It is in this context that the government had to 

act to stop the consolidation of democratic 

organisations, which are challenging apartheid's 

ability to work. 

The State of Emergency and the amendments 

to the Public Safety Act and the Internal 

Security Act are also attempts by the state to 

create the space to enforce their new reform 

packages. 

This sledgehammer approach to creating 'law 

and order' is not the right fonnula. It has not 

worked in the past and will not work now or in 

the future. 

It has been said before, and the point will be 

made again and again - until it is heard - when 

the real needs of South Africans are met, when 

power lies with the people, force will not be 

necessary to restore peace in South Africa. 

Our sources of information, the Bureau of 

Information and the inevitable rumours, should 

not be relied upon. With so litle access to news, 

we must not allow ourselves to be lulled into 

complacency by the information we do receive. 

This edition of Wits Student has been 

censored in order to make its contents 'legalt. 

Therefore what you are reading is not the full 

story. 

We believe that it is our right to say what we 

want - and be heard, and to allow a responsible 

readership to draw their own conclusions. 

Despite there beilg no news to 

send up these days, playing 

blankety-blark with this colum 

(though aesthetically rather a good 

idea) might be deemed subvenive 

by Die Mnister of demons, 

deerning and demonsf ations. 

Then again, while we are 

obviously a ghost" Phantom is 

nevertheless quite aghast, at the 

very thought of being labelied "a 

leetle white sheet". 

While on the subject, most 

townships in tlrese toubled times 

are reportedly haunted by what are 

ostensibly "friendly",. yet 

seemingly cowardly, ghosties. 

Residents have named them melio. 

yellos, but Die Mnister shall of 

course categoricaliy refer to them 

as Casspirs. 

T 

Ja well, no fine, as the speedcop 

said when I gave him a sixpack... 

As we have said, Fred, there isn't 

much to be said" sadly. Some will 

be pleased. Sonre may laugh. The 

same some as will be pleased that 

UCT's "Varsity" can't quote 

NUSAS - a case of "No NUSAS 

good news"? 

Any word of the U D Front will 

probably also be deemed an affront 

by Die Minister - back to front, 

that's S.A. for you. But then 

there's always the good old Sports 

Front, and the International Front, 

to which we now revert. After ali, 

news is merely a front for real 

events... 

On the Sports Front - Sports is 

usually on the back page - some iate 

news of the World Cup from 

Mehico Seedy. After Dago 

Madonna's controversial goal in 

the England-Argentina re-match, 

Falklands II, the English fans were 

a little disgruntled. Especially 

down in Port Stanley, where a 

squadron of RAF Phantoms (no 

relation) were armed with thermonuclear 

warheads, all set to "tallyho" 

at the blow of the frnal whistle. 

Some Engtishmen kept a stiff 

upper iip, though. Notably, 

Englishman Margaret Thatcher 

commented "I suppose you have to 

hand it to them, don't you see? 

Haw, haw." 

Naoually, for their part the 

Argies were entirely gruntled with 

little Daguito, as were the Italians. 

Madonna plays for Napoli at a 

million bucla per annum. 

Collection hats are being passed 

about at British pubs to secure a 

Mafia contact on Dago's head 

(make that hands). However, the 

Napoli coach denied rumours that 

Madonaa will shortly be axed from 

the side. 

That concludes the International 

wrap-up. As for local haps and 

mishaps, perhaps we should cail it a 

warp-up, I'm afraid. (Right now, 

"I'm afraid to say" means just that). 

- 

- 

- 

- 

Phantom observes drat the 

Bureau for Information (a rather 

unfortunate misnomer) has 

substituted a stewardess for its hot 

seat steward, at the daily briefings 

As any questions to tle stewardes 

tend to render her quite hot under 

the collar (she warms to her 

subject), perhaps the "hot-seat" is 

aptly named. Talk about founts of 

information. Words like "no 

comment" hiss as from a hot 

geyser. 

Anyways, the pioy of putting a 

woman at the mercy of a bunch of 

journalists (or vice versa), simply 

didn't work. Attendance at the 

briefings continues to drop off, 

while those who do pitch up usually 

nod offanyway.

,,33'r!r!r""imrir#!555#!!!i!ttiflffi 

The report "Perspectives on Wih,. 

POW!! 

was tabled in June . While the 

results were vastiy differing in 

opinion, the findings were - 

* Vast majority of informants 

perceived 

Wits as being dominated 

by big business, government and 

the whife community 

* Wits is isolated from the 

experience of black people 

* Whiie Wits opposes apartheid, it 

discriminates wi8rin the university 

* For many, Wits holds the 

promise ofliberai values. It should 

be seen to be in the forefront of 

opposition to apartheid- but the 

respondents, including the ANC, 

do not believe the university should 

be linked to any specific organi - 

sation, but rather accountable to 

society as a whole. 

* It was also recommended that 

these new constifuencies are more 

fairly represented in the decision 

making of the university. 

* Finally, to further and strength - 

en such relatjonships it was felt that 

structureshould be eskblished to 

establish Wits' presence in the 

community. 

These ideas also emerged from an 

international survey, with two 

further points- 

* The idea of modular and dis - 

tance teaching received wide 

support. 

* Wide concern for the small 

number of academic and admin - 

istrative staff employed. 

The major difference in the 

international survey was the 

position on the acadernic boycott. 

Three positions emerged, a min - 

ority felt that Wits inevitablv 

mirrors apartheid, and another 

group thought that Wits could be 

an agent for social change.The 

predominant view was that the 

university was contested terrain 

and had the potential space to 

restrucfure its role in a changing 

society. While the dominant 

position was in favour of the 

academic boycott, it was also felt 

that the university should take 

immediate action to work towards, 

alteriag ih social standing. 

Many of the ideas in the.community 

and. internationai surveys 

i!!#!i!!!!!!!!S!E!!!!!:iiiils!fiiiiiiii !!!! NEWS !ii!! Iffi 

were supported in the un_iversity 

survey. However, imporrant 

differences emerged between the 

university and the community 

about their perceptions- 

.*. 2!Vo.of the university 

Dlg buslness 

tJrought 

was over represented 

on tle University Council 

* 92Vo of the communities felt it 

served white communiries and bie 

business 

* 68Vo of the university agreed 

that Wits should openly defy 

apartheid laws where thev 

interfere with the university, whili 

96.5Vof the communities feit this. 

Agreement existed on the 

university's need to publicize its 

admission policy and buisaries 

more widely. Support also exists 

for a "bridging" year after school, 

that matric should not be the only 

criterion for admission to Wits. 

The community was unanimous 

about the need for courses to make 

students more socialiy aware and 

the need for part-time courses on 

campus. 

Support exists fot the establishment 

of a procedure for invest - 

igating racial discrimination as 

well as for a committee of 

community leaders to advise Wits 

on its poiicv. 

Concernirig community relations 

there was wide agreement on the 

need for Wits to supply various 

community services. 

Differences between the 

university and the community were 

reflected inside the 

university.Black and white students 

predictably differed on vanous 

issues, The most important was the 

belief of the black students thar 

there is a need for the university to 

state its political alignment. 

However common agreement 

exists on the need to establish a 

grievance commjttee. 

Division also emerged between 

black and white non-academic 

staff. The black non-academic staff 

harbours resentment towards 

university management. 

The report concludes by calling 

for discussion on all levels. "We 

need not wait until we ha ve maior 

social change, we can start ihe 

process right now," said one 

interviewee. 

Disinvestment-vuho foses ? 

Sanctions have been given 

extensive media coverage over the 

last five years. Now that their 

implementation is more imminenr, 

people are beginning to realise 

what the consequences would be. 

After the Emminent Persons 

Group (EPG) published their 

report, pressure for sanctions to 

be imposed has increased. 

Margaret Thatcher is however, 

adamant that sanctions wili not 

work. 

Her convictions are based on the 

beliefthat 15 years ofsanctions did 

not work in old Rhodesia. 

Commentators claim that Rhodesia 

did not only survive sanctions, but 

benefitted from having to develop 

substihrtes for imports. 

The proposed visit ro SA by 

British Foreign Secretary, Sir 

Geoffrey Howe, is viewed as an 

attempt by Thatcher to stall the 

imposition of sanctions, Thatcher 

feels that pumping funds, to the 

tune of R300 million, into black 

education will do more to 

facillitate change. Howe is ser to 

meet PW Botha on the 23rd and 

29th ofJuly, for talks. 

The Pretoria III in the 

interim has been hurling angry 

threats at the 'pro-sanctions' 

groupings. Migrant workers are 

threatened with 'repatriation' to 

their'homelands' in retaliation to 

sanotions, and the government has 

also threatened to default on 

foreign debts. 

Youe Aeooucrlvlr-f ts low.l wu Mu.tr wopk HApDtp. ./ 

.J oozt, I frt$ r cr ot E r*F stcrov .r //&P uS F/orJrt/,5l/yvrsfuetf ! 

Prominent white businessmen in Will blacks, and only blacks, 

South Africa dwell on the fact that bear the brunt?; 

sanctions will have a far greater Are they willing to make the 

effect on blacks, and would sacrifice ? 

increase the hardships of the people The answers to these questions 

it was ultimately trying to help. are not conclusive. 

This is the one opinion splashed Chief Mangosuthu Catsha 

across South Africa's daily Buthelezi, head of the Kwazulu 

newspapers. Once again, as always, Legislative Assembly and leader of 

little anention is given to *re views tnkatha, shares much the same 

vlews as white businessmen in 

South Africa. He claims that. Perhaps 

of those people who counr - black 

South Africans. 

Disinvestment raises a few 

questlons: 

'disinvestment 

is championed soley 

by those who seek to establish a 

nnn-..^;i-l;^: -'-' ' 

of violence,' and that,'a majority of 

ordinary black South Africans 

reject it.' 

In sharp contrast, the African 

National Congress, which despire 

ris exlie marnra!ns a i 

support amongst biacks, insists that 

foreign cornpanies prop up 

aprtheid and that total 

disinvestment is essential. 

An opinion, which lies somewhat 

inbetween, is that conditional 

disinvestment directed against 

particular foreign companies that 

do nor comply with specific 

demands. made by their workers 

and do not fulfiil their community 

responsibilities, would be powerfu I 

enough tb be effective aeainst 

apartheid, while not harming black 

inierests. 

Recent research has shown that 

nearly three quarters of urban 

black South Africans actuaily 

favour some form o f 

disinvestment.. 

A black .iournalrst reported 

that:" 

disinvestment is thel

Building 

For many decades South Africa's people have been 

organising to win control over their own lives. Wits 

Student reviews recent developments in the democratic 

movement 

The struggle for a non-racial, 

democratic South Africa has iong 

been a power struggle between the 

people of South Africa and the 

state. 

In this country where the vast 

majority of people are denied 

access to power - power over their 

own lives, their acces to law and 

government and even their own 

ideologies. It is over issues such as 

these that the people struggle and it 

is that struggle that the state 

repeatedly attempts to crush. 

The 1950's - "The Decade of 

Defiance", did much to popularize 

and strengthen the democratic 

struggle within South Africa. The 

ANC, along with SACTU (South 

African Congress of Tiade 

Unions) , it's trade union arm. 

organized around specific issues 

and campaigns. 

An example was the "pound-aday" 

campaign of 1955 which 

highlighted the extent to which all 

members of the community were 

affected by the abysmal wages paid 

to tlre workers. The communitv 

could not pay their rents, thl 

workers were being exploited and 

the school children were being 

"educated" for future exploitation. 

posed a threat to the state and were 

a means by which the people could 

work for power. The government 

responded with the State of 

Emergency and the banning of the 

ANC in 1960. 

As conditions of struggle havr 

changed, different forms ol 

organization have been needed. It 

is through struggles waged on 

different fronts, in the schools, the 

communities and at the work olace 

that rnass based demociatic 

organizations are challenging the 

Mass Action 

methods and means of control - and 

thus building people's power. 

Mass based action became a The significance of any struggle 

necessary response to all areas of is in the extent to which it 

oppression. The organizations challenges the ruling classes 

developed to channel this action ability to rule. 

Organising in education 

The emphasis on education in the The emergence of unified 

struggle can possibly be earmarked democratic student structures, such 

from 16 June 1976. This was a 

result of -B'C. (B I ack 

Consciousness) groups focussing 

on the poor education for blacks as 

a major grievance. Their initial 

protest was against Afrikaans as a 

'medium of study. This led to the 

claim that Bantu Education was 

devised to "domesticate not 

educate" They also felt that 

education was the means for black 

survival in future societies. 

From June '76, further uprisings 

spread across the country. The 

state attempted to quell these by a 

crackdown on the BC 

movement in October'77. 

A problem facing the students 

was lack of grassroots 

organization. Membership, being 

predominantly students and BC 

activists, needed to form links 

between students and the wider 

community. This began tentatively 

during the '76 uprisings: when 

students campaigned alongside 

their parents against Urban Bantu 

Councils. 

Cosas 

as COSAS, became evident in 

1980. Boycotts and protests were 

more organized and won greater 

community support. 

SRC's implementing 

programmes of alternative 

education after school hours were 

continually being harassed by the 

police thus limiting their 

effectiveness. 

Parents 

By mid-1980, school boycotts 

had spread units. The students 

supported their parents by 

boycotting classes over educational 

and community issues. An 

example of this is in Cape Town 

where students were involved in 

organising alternate transport 

during the bus boycotts. 

In 1982 the AZASO National 

Congress called for a non-racial 

and democratic education system 

and not just an equivalent to 

Christian National Education 

(CNE). It was decided to 

formulate an education charter 

with COSAS and NUSAS later 

joining this campaign. 

In i984 further boycotts and 

greater uprisings occured. The 

government reacted by closing 

Students then began contributing 

towards building local mass-based 

organisations. In June 

'79 COSAS 

(Congress of South African 

schools, finally resulting in wide 

Students) was formed. This spread detentions and anests by the 

police. 

organisation aimed to articulate the 

In addition to this the de 

education demands raised after 

Lange commission's 

1976. AZASO, in turn, focused on 

recommendations were not 

campus orientated activities. In 

implemented, thus leaving the 

addition to this NUSAS was students with an "educational 

organising whiJe students in crisis". 

progressive activities which were According to the NECC "After 

to be the foundation for the 24 months the schools crisis is still 

buildine of a non-racial 

dead locked. Pupils have wrecked 

many parts of thb countrY and are 

ready to take further action if 

their demands are not met." 

The NECC met on 8 March this 

year to decide on what action to 

take concerning the demands set 

out in the December meeting. 

They said that Education was just 

one eiement of the general crisis of 

apartheid, . other problems 

identified were continued corporal 

punishment, harrasment and 

victimisation of students, the 

presence of security guards at the 

schools and the continued presence 

of hoops in the townships. 

SRC's 

Prefects were abolished in many 

schools in 1984 after students 

realised the system was not based 

on their freewill. Cosas drafted an 

SRC constitution favoured by the 

students, with parents a n d 

principals being called in to discuss 

this. At schols where studenls were 

united and had control - like 

Mndeni Junior and Bopa Senatla 

High - SRC's were simply and 

democratically elected. 

Organisations such as NECC 

(involving parents, teachers and 

students) and the formation of 

SRC's have led to developing 

widespread parents and community 

support. 

i986 was initiall-y called for as a 

"no-school year". But this decision 

has been reversed, and students are 

again attending schools, thus 

facilitating student organisations 

within the schools. It is thus that 

more can be achieved through 

pupils attending schools and acting 

collectively, as well as receiving 

the alternative education the SRC's 

Black 

or white, 

young or old, 

South 

Africans of 

all types are 

joining 

organisations 

toll 

apartheid 

oppression 

dnd ll ro 

exploitation. ll,t 

Vtbrker 

The struggle to organize an 

poiiticize labour was originall 

hampered by state repression an 

by the belief held by many union 

that problems faced by workers i 

the workplace could be dealt wif 

in isolation from problems the 

experienced in the cor4munities 

With the re-emergence of trad 

unionism in the 1970's. the bas 

was laid for political unionisn 

through the growth of hade union 

that aligned with communit 

struggles. 

As a result, in the 1980's a notio 

of progressive unionism develope 

in tandem with the concept o 

"peoples' power". Progressiv 

unions realised that they could us 

their organizational and economi 

power to unite people agains 

apartheid and exploitation. Thes 

unions recognized that thr 

problems faced by township 

residents were linked to thr 

struggles workers were waging ir 

the workplace. Building "peoples 

power" meant that hade unions 

student, youth and residents 

organisations wouid work closely 

together to achieve common goals. 

In 1985 the Congress of

Communalactio 

rs inthe frontline 

and 

ally 

and 

ons 

sin 

vith 

hey 

ade 

rsis 

sm 

)ns 

ity 

was formed. with a paid up 

membership of over 650000 and 

representing 33 unions, Cosatu has 

succeeded in uniting these Progressive 

unions across all the major 

industries. 

Cosatu believes that "the workers 

are the community and the community 

the workers" and addresses 

itself to all problems facing workers. 

Politics 

. Cosatu's involvement in com-' 

'ol munity and political issues is shown 

Eq bv their demands for: the release of 

of ail political prisoners, the 

ve unbanning of political organi-f 

'1" sations, the lifting of the state of 

llc emergency and an end to the 

lst bantustans system. Cosatu argues 

:se that these are the steps necessary as 

ne a "prelude to the creation of a 

rp democratic South Africa where all 

le shall live in peace asnd prosperity". 

rn The most effective popular cam- 

)s paign which Cosatu has been ins' 

volved in, was the 1986 May Day 

s stayaway when an estimated 1,5 

ty million workers responded to the 

detained.Elijah tsarayi, President. 

of Cosatu was -detained for two 

weeks and heavily restricted on his 

release 

The period from 1979 to 1983 

saw the rapid growth of community 

based organizations at a 

grassroots level. Civic associations, 

women's groups, tenants 

associations and so on were formed 

initially to deal with condrtions 

or issues pertaining to a specific 

constifuency or community. 

The sfuggles around such ateas as 

increased rents, poor services and 

inadequate housing brought people 

together fostering a conJidence in 

organised communal action. 

Many activists having realised the 

need for a clear analysis of South 

African society, began to see the 

need for equipping people with a 

broad understanding of their 

oppression.They were struggling 

not only against the repressive 

features of the government but also 

against a system which reinforced 

the status quo through numerous 

institutions and curtailed peoples, 

access to a share of the country's 

wealth. 

Co-operation 

The successful battles being waged 

by the workers for better 

conditions and the increased cooperation 

between trade unions and 

community and student organisations 

highlighted the fact that the 

struggle was also over key sources 

of wealth and development. 

The tactic of consumer boycotts 

that has been used widely over the 

last year showed widespread cooperation 

between UDF affiliated 

township and student organisations 

and frade unions. It was initiated in 

small Eastern Cape communities 

by township residents angered at 

the nightly presence in the townships 

of armed groups of 

enrployers and shop owners. 

Organisations were able to force 

business concerns to pressurize 

local government agents into 

meeting specific community demands. 

In Port Alfred for 

example, the local chamber of 

commerce went so far as to 

recognize the Iocal civic 

association and negotiations were 

Cosatu has called for protest 

action (including strikes and work 

stoppages) in order to pressurize 

the government into lifting the 

state of emergency.There have 

been sporadic work stoppages and 

strikes throughout the country and 

on July 14 there was a widespread entered into concerning 

improvement of the township and 

stayaway in the Eastern 

the release of local activists from 

Cape.There was a 247o stayaway at 

detention. 

Cosatu organized factories in the 

Broader demands were also made 

PWV area. 

such as the lifting of the state of 

The organisational difficulties 

facing unions as a result of the 

detentions and repression were 

reflected in the limited success of 

the stayaway. 

But despite this the progressive 

emergency, the withdrawl of the 

troops from the townships and the 

release of Mandela. 

The Eastern Cape made the most 

gains out of consumer boycotts.In 

other areas most problems were 

labour movement remains encountered where townships are 

conunitted to a Programme that bigger and more difficult to 

"politicizes, mobilizes and organizes 

the working class so that it 

plays a leading role in the 

liberation of our society and its 

transformation into an economic, 

organize. In Soweto for instance, it 

proved impossible to canvass 

widely the support of people for 

the boycott. 

The use of mass stayaways by 

ftrlfi ll -:*:r -' 

power the workforce has when it 

collectively and strategically with - 

draws its labour power. As in the 

case of consumer boycotts, the 

white communities are brought to 

some awareness of the situation in 

the black communities when they 

are confronted with a massive 

absence of the black workforce. 

Funerals became a means of 

building a sense of collective 

power and solidarity . In the past 

50000 people might gather to hear 

speakers and express their 

defiance. 

People's Power 

With the current crackdown, the 

danger of over-reliance on mass 

protest has been recognised. Out of 

the anger generated by people's 

response to state repression came 

the cail for ungovernability . This 

was seen as positive in terms of its 

challenge to the status quo , but 

problems arose concerning discipline, 

especially as so many acti - 

vists were detained. There are also 

limits to what mass opposition can 

achieve - that it serves to invite 

heightened repression and disrupted 

organisation. With this in n1ind, 

it has become a matter of urgency 

to implement widely the more 

sophisticated notions of "people's 

power" based on organisation at a 

street or block level. Street 

committees, being smaller and 

more cohesive , encourage greater 

participation in decisions on dayto-day 

issues and allow for the 

informed direction of activists 

In this way, question such as 

discipline are more easily dealt 

with and previously unnily elements 

are more easily incorporated 

on the basis of their living in 

specific streets or blocks. In 

Mamelodi, for example, an "operation 

clean-up" was embarked upon 

to educate youths engaged in 

unmandated acts of "disciplining" 

people who did not adhere to the 

consumer boycott. The "clean-up" 

has also meant refuse removal 

every weekend and establishing 

"people's parks" follwing the 

withdrawal of services bv com - 

munity councillors. 

Tighter structures 

These smaller, tightly-knit 

organisational structures are also 

proving to be the most effective 

way ofreproducing leadership and 

facilitating a thorough process of 

politicisation of community 

members. 

People are increasingly coming to 

a more holistic understanding of 

their position within society. 

This form of democratic organisation 

is giving people a say in 

various aspects of their lives as 

never before and provides in

e\ 

es' 

+" il 

4;L 

William Hurt 

in Kiss 

. of a Spider 

woman, 

as Mollna, a 

homosexual 

window-dresser 

imprisoned 

ona 

morals charge 

Movie Madness 

After a short break for the midyear 

university vacation, the for three consecutive films. 

temporary membership of R6,0C 

Performing Arts Filin Society at 

Wits University recommences on 

21luly. 

Fourteen Monday evening 

screenings have been scheduled 

until the end of the year, of which 

the following have been 

confirmed: 

28 JuIy - The Man From 

Laratnie - Anthony Mann/ 

USA/1955/B & W/ 101 minutes. 

4 August - The Goalkeepers 

Fear of the.?enalty - Wim 

Wenden/'West 

Germany/Aus tria/S witzerland/ I 97 

1/ Col/l00mins. 

11 August - Local Hero 

Bill Forsyth/GB/1983/Col/1 1 I 

mins 

IE August - A Woman is a 

Woman (Une Femme est Unr 

Femme) -Jean /Lvc 

G oddar d/Franc e-Italy I | 96 I I 

CoV85 mins. 

N.B. The sueening of thb fils 

on l6 June was cancelle due to itr 

non arrival from overseas. It it 

had still not been received by 18 

August, the substitute will be 

Week-End. 

Jean/Luc 

In addition to the regular 

Monday screenings, a mini-seson 

of Three Specialised Comedies has 

also ben arranged for three 

consecutive Tuesdays, at the same 

times and ia the same venue as on a 

Monday evening: 

Tuesday 22 July - La Ronde 

Roger Vadim/France/1 965/Col 

112 mins. 

The second filming (the fust was 

by Max Ophuls in i951) of Arthur 

Schnitzler's famous play, 

'LaRonde' (Round Dance). A 

production of this play has recently 

been mounted by PACT Drama. 

Tuesday 29 July - Boudu 

Saved From Drowning, 

Jean Renoir/Frartcell932/B & 

w. 

This is the first filmed version of 

the play which also served as the 

basis for Paul Mazursky's recent, 

and very popular, 'Down and Out 

in Beverley Hills'. Renoir's is 

highly regarded as a comic gem in 

its own right. 

TuesdaySAugust - The 

Ritz 

tuchardl-ester/usA/ I 976lCol/91 

Godard/France/ 1967 

I CoU 95 mins. min 

25 August - An Actor's Brftish director Lester's ('A 

Revenge 

Kon Hard Day's Night', "The Three 

Ichikawa/Japan/ 1963 / CoU 112 

Musketeers' etc) filming of a 

mins. 

successful broadway'bedroom 

I September - Between farce' has become something of a 

Wars -Michael cult classic. The senilg, with some 

ThornhilVAustralia/l 975/Col/ 100 

mins. 

Screenings take place at 

17h30/5.30pm 

and 20h00/8.00pm 

in Senate House Lecture Theake 5 

(SHB 5), and ample covered 

parking for all intending moviegoers 

is available one floor belou 

the screening venue. 

A half-year subscription ol 

mernorable comic performances, is 

a New York City bath-house. 

hesented in conjunction with the 

Wits Gay Movement. 

The half-year subscription does 

not cover the Tuesday screenings, 

but temporary memberships are 

available for this purpose. 

Further enquiries can be made 

from Wits' Performing Arts 

R22,00 is available, and for iesr Administration, Telephone (01 I ) 

frequent viewers there is a 716-4051/3939. 

deadlykiss 

Seeing Kiss of the Spiderwomar 

during the state of emergency is a 

chilling experience, chilling in its 

reality and significance to this 

country and the struggle being 

waged here. 

The movie is set in a semi-solitary 

prison cell in Brazil. Raul Julia in 

his role as a political prisoner is 

thoroughly convincing and 

William Hurt, a homosexual 

convicted of molesting a child, is 

outstanding. 

The sensitivity and vulnerability 

which is conveyed through Hurt's 

performance is complemented by 

and contrasted with t}le feminist 

(but not feminine) attitUdes of 

Julia's "political" character. 

The relationship that develops 

between these two men is further 

accentuated in their different 

ideological stances and the manner 

in which these alternately divide 

This movie deals not only with ttre 

attitudes of society to so-called 

"misfits"- a homosexual and an 

activist but also with the personal 

pain and feelings of guilt of the nvo 

men. 

The revolutionary, who is in love 

with an upper class woman feels 

tiat he is beuaying his cause. This 

highlights his emotional, social and 

ideological conflicts. 

In relation to the South African 

situation this movie comes 

extremely close to depicting what 

may be happening 

our prisons 

to political activists and what may 

have motivated many of the 

activists now occupying those 

prisons. 

Kiss of the Spiderwoman could 

well be set in Diepkloof or John 

Vorster Square. The message 

conveyed about the repression of 

anti-government activities is one 

and unite them. 

that all South Africans should hear. 

Jim Joel Jive 

The sixth annual Jim Joel recognised overseas musical instifution, 

thus furthering the career 

Competition will take place in The 

Wits Great Hall over four evenings of the young musician who 

between Wednesday 30 July aad annually receives it in a manner 

Sah.uday 2 August" 

which he or she might otherwise 

A total of ten talented young have found financially impossible. 

musicians will compete for the The scholarship was awarded 

most generousingle musical prize first in 1981 !o clarinettest Clifford 

awarded in South Africa. Wybrow. The next year, 1982, the 

Instiruted in 1980, the prize is recipient was pianist Anton Nel 

awarded annually by the (who had previously won the 

Johannesburg Consoiidated lnvest - SABC Music Prize). In 1983 

'cellist 

ment Company Ltd ("Johnnies"). Ilse-Mari van Wyk won it 

It is named in honour of the and in 1984 the recipient was 

company's Life President" a greatnephew 

of JCI Ltd's founder, Last year it was won by pianist 

percussionist Cinzia Honnorat. 

Barney Barnato, and was the idea John Rindel. 

of Sir Albert Robinson. a former The Jim Joel Scholarship is 

chairman of the company. limited to senior or post-graduate 

The terms of the scholarship students of the wits Universitv 

required that it be used at a School of Music.

The view from 

t 

m 

r 

I 

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I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

t 

I 

I 

u 

ta 

r). 

I 

t 

I 

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ut- 

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rf 

Llly 

Grahamstow 

rlrrltlt 

The fact that the theme for this 

year's Grahamstown Festival was 

originally "The influence of 

Russian emigrees on Western 

Europe" (later changed to the 

amorphously enigmatic tleme: 

"Encounters"), reflects sadly the 

culpable disregard of the 

organizers to the importance and 

quality of specifically South 

African theatre. 

Nevertheless many of the 

productions asserted their 

relevance to present day South 

Africa. 

The poet, Maishe Maponya's 

"The hungry ear.th " shocked 

audiences with its enthusiasm and 

honor. Its violently stark depiction 

of family suffering under the 

migrant labour system swells 

quickly towards the conflict in the 

images of money-obsessed whites 

and black rural poverty. The gumboot 

dance performed so obsequiously 

for a group of tourists 

captures the loss of human dignity 

enforced on those lured by 

necessity into the homeiand/mine 

circle. 

Another fringe highlight was 

Wits University's production of 

Athol Fugard's "The Blood Knot" 

(This writer's choice for best play 

of the festival). Zane Meas and 

Kellam Beard playing "dark" 

brother Tach and "light" brother 

Marie, respectively, engage in a 

tensely directed exposition of 

racial tensions in their "games" of 

white roles and black roles. 

Director, Jerry Mofokeng, shesses 

that hope, though dashed can be 

revived and grasped at by working 

through and elimjnating the roles 

imposed by apartheid. 

The Blood Knot can be seen at 

he Wits TheaFe on Wednesday 23, 

Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July in 

the Main theatre at 8.0opft. 

By contrast,"Abamanyani", a 

popular and well received fringe 

celebration of dance and music 

displayed a rather disturbing lack 

of conflict It was an optimistic, il 

rather idealistic play. It's enthu- 

,siasm, however, was refreshing 

ald inspirational and the suspicion 

that it periodicaliy lacked "bite" 

was mediated by its positive 

attempt at the fusion of black and 

white South African culture. 

Peter Dirk Uys's "Beyond the 

Rubicon"sees a welcome trimming 

down of the,burgeoningplethora ol 

Buzuidenhouts and other characters. 

The setis uncomplicated and 

stark - a huge torn South African 

llll 

I I I 

flag hangs from the rafteis sprayed 

with graffiti of "dangerous' 

organizations: Cosas, ANC, AWB 

and SABC/SAUK. Uys's gift oi 

capturing South African 

caricatures was hilariously 

executed and is for better suited tc 

the aftnosphere of a gym or a hall 

than to thar of a theane. 

More 6n- was Wits Uni - 

versity's entry "Laagerythms",a 

movirg enactment of the fears ani 

questions, the helpiessness and 

frustration of young white South 

Africans caught between their 

world and their conscience. 

This musical depicted all too real 

and painful situations such as the 

young man who loves his country 

but is not willing to go to the army 

to fight for apartheid. Between 

scenes like this and effective 

sporadic movement up and down 

the set which was all bars and 

benches the audience were left 

swallowinghard. Sincere, relevanl 

and expressive. 

Performances of Laagerhythms 

will be at 8.00pm on Thursday 24 

and Saturday 26 July. There is also 

a 12.35pm performance on 

Wednesday 23Judy. 

"Nijinsky" was this year 

producfion by Andrew Buck_land, 

winner of the 1986 Young Artists 

Award for Drama. It is a one man 

performance set within a giant 

disintegrating cube of metal poles. 

Nijinsky's struggles to break 

classical ballet structures is 

paralleleo by the attempts of a 

young South African actor to breal 

culturai segregation, with his 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

ltl 

'multi-racial travelling acting 

troop. These stories are 

ingeneously interwoven as 

An&ew Buckland whines chats and 

chants his way through the myriad 

corridors within the cube. As 

poles disappear, the visual 

breakdown of strucfure mirrors 

the hope for a corresponding 

personal freedom. The end is 

finally a reconciliation of tlis hope 

with the present. Splashed with 

painted handprints depicting the 

social being, contorting and 

twisting, he grasps at the "other", 

"the strange". Staccato speech 

patterns alienate the subject 

enabling him to look afresh. The 

.solution for Buckland lies in the 

ralization of the "sanctity" of every 

person-hurran interaction based on 

a mufual respect of humanity. A 

daring and original piece. 

A more wry look at the strange 

situations o[ individual subjected 

to life governing structures which 

are confusing and arbitary was 

presented by aftingecompany, "A 

room with a view" with their 

production of "slavic Triptych". 

The plays, "Striptease"(by 

Morzek), "Smoking is bad for your 

(Chekhov) and their own adaption 

of a Gogol short story, "The Nose" 

were presented with a witty and 

carefully understated enthusiasm 

which warned againsthe lulling 

effect of ideology. 

Of the dance productions the 

lPerforming Arts Workshop's 

"Alice" was outstanding for its 

powerful unconventional choreo - 

graphy and the costumes which, 

while deliberately disregarding 

'figure flattery, with their lurid 

colours and fantastical, pulsating 

'designs, gave a sense of fluidity and 

power to the dancers bodies. The 

initial slight irritation of Alice's 

"neo-balletic" stylization was later 

mediated by the shedding of her 

"pretty" skirt which tended to 

hamper her. The music was 

;onventional and also tended to 

work against the more progressive 

and excitirg elements. 

Perhaps the most exciting dance 

production was "Dalk corners of a 

new mind" presented by fringe 

group BODA (Body of Despondent 

Artists)portrayingthe growth ol an 

innocent being into a world ol 

confusion and over-kill. Melge 

Janssen, the merman wants to learn 

to experience to reach the stars, tc 

live, to rench out every last breath, 

to moan, to whisper to incite. Life 

and death are sb-ipped bare, speech 

is reduced to stiited tilting and the 

joy of movement, of turning 

together in communication, 

sharing breaths, flexing, un- 

:onscious expression, gives way to 

the knowledge of experience. 

Especially effective was the limited 

use of music and the corresponding 

use of breathing and 

whispering in the small theafre. 

Within its bounds, the 1986 

Grahamstown Festival seemed 

relatively successful in the cultural 

exploration of problems facing 

South Africa at the moment. 

However, the oppressive presence 

of the army, wandering casspirs 

and the curfew in the nearby black 

township were omnipresent 

reminders of the very dubious 

nature of an artistic festival in these 

times. Coupled with this, prices 

were generally too high for any but 

white middle and upper class 

"pafrons". The virtual nonexistence 

of biack faces in 

audiences seems to suggest that 

once again this "nationai" festivai 

was an almost exclusively white 

event._ 

The time has now come for the 

organizers to actively challenge 

performers and attract wider 

audiences by setting relevant 

themes.

tlt''!3t:|'lltE33 

m-ffi 

re 

!At'!' 

A new fhont has been opened up 

h bottlc rgrlnqt APartheld' wlth 

uver flfty populrr muslclans 

hrvlngJolncd together to record 

r powcr{lrl mulcal strtemcnt 

rgrlnct l[s futcd system. 

"We ain play " 

This is the song 'Sun City', and 

although it's banned in South 

Africa, it's made news headlines 

internationally and is a favourite on 

radio and TV playlists. 

The driving force behind the project 

is singer Steven van Zandt. A 

musician who shot to fame as a 

member of Bruce Springsteen's 

East Street Band, he's now producing 

solo albums. 

'Little Steven,' as he's known, 

cxplained to SASPU National how 

the project happened, and why. 

"SUN CITY was a song that 

cameout ofmy gut,.fueled by j 

the disgust I felt when I vis- " 

ited the resort of thc same 

name. On the way there, I 

had stoppcd at a village 

where people had to carry 

water in on their heads, and 

then I came face-toface 

with the swim- --1 

ming pools and fan- C 

i-> 

tasy atmosphere - -- 

- 

carrying on business 

as usual in the phony 

freedom of the Bop 

homeland. 

"The song was my way of bringing 

some of the complexities and 

realities of apartheid home. 

'Many South Africans have heard 

about or read about the SUN CITY 

record. But since it was banned by 

your radio stations even prior to its 

release, and badly distributed, if it 

was distributed at all, let me try to 

describe our musical and media 

attempt at solidarity with your 

struggle. 

" Last spring, I wrote the song that 

sought to bring your struggle into 

the ears and consciousness of 

Americans. 

"SUN CITY focuses on the infamous 

resort in Bophutatswana and 

makes a statement that we won't 

play there, no matter what they'll 

pay- 

"In that sense, the song is both by 

and for the musical 6qmmunilv - 

directed to those few artists who 

continue to play at Sun City, and to 

the general public. 

"But, the song says more than 

that. It speaks directly to the idea of 

phony homelands, and the relocation 

policies that tear families 

apart. 

"It also explicitly and directly 

names and blasts Ronald Reagan's 

'constructive 

policy of 

engagement'. 

It asks the American people 

'why are we always on the wrong 

side?" 

The song became a collective 

statement representing the committed 

voices of 

'Artists 

United 

Against Apartheid'. 

*We lined up a roster of artists 

unlikc any ever pressed onto one 

piece of vinyl. They came from all 

corncrs of the music industry. 

"Some who took part were Hall 

and Oates, Pat Benatar, Bono from 

I the group U2, Ringo Starr of The 

Beatles fame, The Who's Pete 

Townsend, Keith Richard and Ron 

Wood of the Rolling Stones, Bob 

Musician Steven van 

Zandt explains why 

he wrote SUNCITY 

Geldof,' Bruce Springsteen, Bob 

Dylan, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed 

and Joev Ramone, Gill Scott- 

Heron, Eddie Kendrick and David 

Ruffin of thc Temptations, Bobby 

Womack, Miles Davis, Herbie 

Hancock, Jimmy Cliff and Big 

Youth, and the Malopoets. 

"Our lyrics and multi-racial 

approach explicitly challenged 

racism in America as well as racism 

in South Africa. 

"Unlike some critics of apartheid, 

we are well aware of how deePlY 

racism still festers in the American 

soil. 

"As Bruce Springsteen Put it in an 

interview, "I was hoPing that bY 

helpins bring attention to what's 

eoins 6n in South Africa, it would 

irakE us look in our own backyards 

at the terrible problems we have 

with racism in this country right 

now". 

SUN CITY was probablY the first 

;ecord banned in South Africa by 

radio before anyone even heard it' 

"We can't offend our shareholders", 

was the way a programmer gope, defending his father's regime 

for Radio 702 explained the deci- in Bophutatswada, was shouted 

sion. So much for the so-called free- down as he tried to rationalize the 

dom of Bop-based radio. 

homelands policy. 

"Sadly, many commercial radio "Our record was not offered as a 

stations in our own country fol- 

'charity record'. In fact, we refer to 

lowed the lead of their South Afri- it as a 'reality record'. We are trying 

can counterpart,. They wouldn't to ensure that the money we raise 

play the record ;iving political pres- through royalties is used to further 

sure as one reason. 

the struggle. 

"'In 

reCponse, political leaders in "speciiiially, we earmarked the 

our country spoke out on behalf of money for political prisoners and 

the public's right to hear SUN their families inside South Africa, 

CITY. Mayors Bradley of [,os the cultural and educational needs 

Angeles and Andrew Young of. of those forced into exile, and for 

Atlanta held press conferences. grassrootsorganisingagainstApar- 

Martin Luther King's widow theid. 

Coretta Scott King challenged "In the meantime, we are continuradio 

stations to play the song. ing to appeal to artists to boycott 

"In Washington, leaders of the South Africa. 

Congressional fight against apar- "We think that if they are earning 

theiddidthesame. 

royalties from records sold there,'- 

"Television coverage brought they should donate them to the 

SUN CITY into America's living 'people so as not to profit from 

rooms. Sol Kerzner, owner of Sun Apartheid. 

City, flew to New York to debate us "Clearly, it is the people who are 

in in hour-long nationally broad- sacrificing and struggling in South 

cast talk-show. 

Africa who must guide those of us 

"Kerzner admitted our efforts who want to support your efforts. 

were hurting his ability' to find . "We know that musicians have a 

artists to play Sun City. His defense responsibility to use our gifts in the 

of Sun Citv won few converts. service of humankind. 

"On that same show, Eddie Man- "Let us know the next step". 

THANKS TO SASPU NATIONAI

[fi --r! I lrt m w.rur 

The 

state of 

the iorl 

ina 

state ol 

emerg 

ency 

What's changed? Not much! 

Friday night, moseYing downt 

streets of occupied Egoli, thir 

seem quiet to the naked eye. but1 

underground hub-bub lives on. 

ffs'$. 

;$ 

Our first stoP - Jameso 

(Jammies .to some). EverYon 

their dog was there. One can s 

the regulars, at ease, with the l< 

jive. One espies the not so tegu 

trying hard, concenhatin 

getting into the groove. Then 

course there are the not at 

(ever) regulars feeling decid 

uncomfortable in th 

unconvincing disguises. 

The decor is somewhat nost 

- reflecting smokY war daYs 

band sings of a different kini 

war. Conversation ranges fl 

intense political debate to 

mundane. Jamesons is steepd il 

own kind of vibe. It is akcr 

retreat for those who undenta 

)urg 

)l 

Have you ever wondered.what 

the children in the townshiPs 

thinli? How their imPressionable 

minds deal with what theY see and 

hear ? 

By virrue of their Youth and 

pertepdon, 'Two Dogs and 

irreedom', exposes manY of their 

thoughts - free from inhibition' 

Extensive insight is given to the 

oroblems faced dailf in the 

townshiPs and, oddll' enough, the 

hope of these chiidren shines 

through. 

The children share their 

awareness and their desire for 

freedom: " South Af rica is 

having Political and 

economical Problems and it is 

spending a lot of monel' 

buying weaPons to kill blacks 

wiih are trYing their level 

best to get freedom... But 

even if all this is haPPening 

we will find our freedom." 

This book is an eYe-oPener to an1' 

person who does not realise the 

reality of townshiP warfare and 

ofpn lhe fear that goes with it' 

The realiry of this 'existence 

escapes us and the sPontaneous 

opinion of children gives a fresh 

and honest account of what it feels 

like to be a black child living in a 

township. 

The book also makes us quesbon 

rhe idea of 'children'; one wonders 

if they fall into this categorY bY 

virrue of their age alone. 

We can all aPPreciate the value of 

a peaceful childhood a n d 

aDDreciate the Poignancl of 

.itildt.n living in fear. "--.I feel 

very scared about what is 

happening. When I go to 

school I must go scared ever5' 

day..." - Given 13 years 

Although the influence of adult 

opinion is evident, hoPe is 

expressed by the authors: "we 

must injoY life with the 

whites" - Gerald'l3 Years 

The simPie sYmbolism 1s 

touching: "Love: Animals: and 

elephant likes each and everl' 

animal. When there's n o 

water it dig water for the 

other animals" ' Ishmael, 14 

years 

As the different emotlons are 

exposed in this book' the reader ts 

sure to feel a certain optimism at 

the warmth, love and oPenness. 

This book concerns those 

interested in the furure of South 

Africa and Provides us with the 

oppumrnity to feel a sensiriviry that 

we can reDrn. 

"When I am old I would like 

to have a wife and to children 

a bo1' and a girl and a big 

house and to dogs a n d 

freedom 

my friends and I would like 

to meat to gether and tok" 

Moagi, 8 years. 

From the uha-alternative t( 

ulta-chic, we jorled on' Now 

place (DirtYMarY's) is re 

deceptive. The street scenell 

same. The high-tech'veneeI 

a touch wlnerable in this Pa 

town. Mean. The ambiance i: 

conditioned; the interior 

something out of the APPI 

Section of a DePartmentas 

the poison here is Kahlua 

Pedro (which are actualiY lel 

The place is flanked wi 

multirude of TV screens - 

music is definitelY not altern 

Dirty Mary's caters for the Ft 

although their Progr:mme inc 

Reggae and Local Music eve 

One occassionallY carches th 

end of political concern, the 

of the nation has not de 

ffendy awareness. 

After chattirg to the manag 

we get the feeling that the S 

EmergencY's onlY effect w 

increase business' Both Place 

packed. The jorl goes on..-.

SMA 

Voetsak! 

The SMA on Wits campus is 

actually not that popular but I have 

discovered where it gets such a big 

name from: none other than Wits 

liberais who pay so much attention 

to them in confronting them, 

arguing with them in tfueatening 

t]lem. 

They're actually puny on campus 

but their image in boosted a 

hundred times when lefty students 

come to heckle them and cause 

trouble. They love it! In fact, to 

be more precise, they exist off it! 

Their whole existence is based on 

tile existence of Nusas and BSS 

because their whole purpose is 

undermining these organisations. 

They want students to get upset 

with them and it would even serve 

their purposes if they were beaten 

up. This is because they want to 

weaken the respectability and 

;redibility of these organisations in 

porfraying progressive students as 

a bunch of wild radicals whose soie 

purpose is to create total anarchy in 

this counhy. TheY are succeeding 

because ttrey set uP traPs for us and 

we fall into those traPs time and 

time again. They set this up to 

draw attention to thernselves and 

the onty way they can do that is if 

they get these students to gave them 

attention. Take the traP set uP on 

Thursday 2915186 when there was 

an ECC meetigg. TheY set trP a 

huge display with about 10 flags 

flying high, a TV cameraman from 

8.30am and riot police waiting in a 

van from 8.30am (I can't imagine 

who called them!). This was a taP 

in two ways. Firstly theY were 

hoping that a whole iot of students 

would come ramPaging uP to them 

after the ECC meeting so that theY 

could film "Wits Students go wild" 

and perhaps have this on SABC TV 

so that our beliefs in Peace and 

democracy would be totallY 

undermined. If theY succeed on 

portraying Wits Pro$essives in a 

bad way, then we will be alienatmg 

many peopie, both students and 

people off campus, and the 

effectiveness of our camPaigns 

would be limited. 

Secondly it was a traP so that the 

riot police could have an excuse to 

com-e onto carnPus and (hoPefullY) 

arrest a leader and in that waY 

hinder the struggle. (Well, the 

police goofed it badly because they 

didn't expect the kind of support 

we showed for the detained student 

the next day). 

There is no question of SMA 

links with the police and thel 

-butitis 

important to realise that the SMA 

are not lhe real anemy. If we 

ignored the SMA they would be 

small and insignificant (most 

students don't even bother looking 

at their iying propaganda). If we 

had just waiked past them, ignoring 

tlem totally, they would have been 

so amazed and their plan would 

have fallen on its nose. 

But instead students chose to 

confront them and they loved it! 

They stood on their tables 

desperately clutching their flags 

while being swarmed by angry 

students. (It iooked like a symbol 

of the last bastion of white rule). 

Now if that klnd of thing hits 

SABC-TV and (for example) the 

next day we are asking the 

community off campus to support 

us against police tenor on campus, 

even the liberal-inclined Derson 

will question whether we are really 

taking control of our lives or not. 

What kind of support will the 

democratic struggle have then? 

I say that if we are serlous about 

our struggle for democracy and 

freedom then we must behave that 

way. We must be sbategic about 

every move that we make and most 

importantly-listen to our leaders 

because they have experience and 

we must learn from them. 

Discipline is of uunost importance. 

But I'm not saying that if we 

decide to ignore the SMA on 

campus that we should just leave it 

at that. We must take some serious 

action against them like: 

1) Challenge the university on 

allowing the SMA to exist at all on 

campus - they stand for alll 

- supposedly abhors 

2) If they cannot be bamed fiom 

Wits then they should at least be 

barred from having displays on the 

same day as Nusas, BSS or ECC 

meetings. 

3) They should be barred from 

flying the South African flag just as 

other students are barred from 

flying the ANC flag. 

Anybody got some more sugges - 

tions?? 

STUDENT 

Happy 

Birthday 

Karen 

I don't know if you have a 

message column in your campus 

sfudent newspaper, ;but anyway I 

want to ask you if it is possible to 

print a message from me to my 

friend in your next edition. 

She is studying computer science 

at your university. We met in 

December 8.and 'continued' in 

June/July last year. I visited the 

Wits campus a few times. 

We reaily had a wonderful time, 

but I had to go back to Holland, to 

fulfil rny duty in the Dutch army. 

That will last ;until November 

and I still doubt what I will do after 

that. I would be very pleased if 

you could publish this message for 

her: 

Karen Sarpers 

Good luck, take care and be 

aware of all the good things in lift. 

Happy Birthday 

Love: Hans 

ALSA 

upset 

The Executive of the Anti- 

American Leagueof South Africa 

(ALSA), on behalf of our 

thousands of members and 

affiliated organizations, would like 

to disscciate ourselves from the 

Vice-Chancellor's statement on 

recent events on campus (3 June 

1986) 

On page 3 he claims to have 

consulted with a wide range of 

organizations on campus, including 

ALSA. We do not, as Yet, fully 

understand the sinister motives 

behind this claim, but we wish to 

state unequivocallY that we were 

never consulted! 

. We are not dissociating ourselves 

from his statement because he did 

not consult us, but because we do 

not like his statement. It is far too 

cautious and unsupportive of 

resistance to right-wing thuggery. 

In particuiar it says nothing of the 

role of imperialist America in the 

oppression and exploitation of 

Africa and indeed of the rest of the 

world! 

We cail for a sustained boycott of 

canteen food and the William 

Cullen library until the university 

has addressed our demands. These 

are that the university: 

l. Liven up the "Social" column 

inThe Star Classifieds, 

2. distribute a book called 

"Freedom Songs for Beginners" to 

first year students, free of charge, 

during Orientarion Week, 

3. liquidate the SMA, 

4. make all those who oark in 

Senate House basement donite their 

spare tyres to the struggle, 

5. abolish the Jan Smuts 

Internaiional Relations Dept, and 

replace it with the Guevara 

Institute for Urban Insurrection, 

sabotage and guerilla Warfare, in 

which courses such "Peasant 

Revolution and Rural Agitation" 

would be offered, 

6. dismantle the homelands 

syslem 

7. dismantle all securitv 

legislation, and remove -. 

from the townships, 

8. abolish the International 

Monetary Fund (IMF) and the 

World Bank, 

f. impose mandatory sanctions 

on America, and disinvest, un_less 

they abolish all nuclear weapons 

and remove Ronald Reaean from 

office immediateiy. 

Viva AI^SA Vival! 

Long live Clifford E 

sidewinder* long live!! 

Foetsak America Foetsak! ! 

E 

Yours in the struggle 

Prof Karlos "The Jackal" 

Toblerone 

Austrian RePresentative 

AI,SA Executive. 

* A popular hero and martyr of 

the struggle. 

Solidarity! 

The students of Deakin 

University extend solidarity and 

supporto you and the fight against 

apartheid. We are outraged at the 

oppresive and violent tactics of the 

Botha llllagainst peaceful 

protest and free expression. Our 

thoughts are with. you in your 

struggle for human equality and 

freedom. We offer any support we 

can. 

J PATERSON 

PRESIDENT 

on behalf of Deakin 

University Students' Association. 

Capped, 

qowned 

5nd 

ripped! 

Having recently graduated, I 

have finally realiseC that 

graduation, supposedly the 

ultimate in one's university career, 

is no more than a synonym for 

financial exploitation. 

The graduate is systematically 

"milked" from every direction. In 

particular I wish to mention the 

hiring of academic dress. This 

"service" is provided by Markhams 

(Ptll Ltd - a monopoly - charging 

R89,00 for gown and good. Once 

these items are returned, the 

individual should receive a R50,00 

deposit back. BUT apparently at 

the discretion of any of the 

employees of the establishment, 

one may be "fined" for returning 

the goods late - an amount of 

R15,00 or more! This penalty is 

incurred regardless of the fact that 

on application for academic dress, 

neither a return date nor a penalty 

is specified. 

Can we affort to graduate? We 

obviously are not allowed the 

freedom of choice. And I wonder 

if these types of exploitations are 

supposed to initiate us into the 

"real" world. Do we leave behind 

our ideals and efforts to obtain 

equality and freedom for all within 

the walls of our microcosm - the 

university? 

E VARDAS(Ms) 

B,Sc HONOURS STUDEN T

Kiddie 

Kash 

K 

ll 

nsls 

For 

a long time, students and staff 

at the university fought for the 

right to have a creche which would 

enable working or student parents 

to be ensured of proper day-care 

for their young children. 

This year the university opened a 

creche which cares for children 

from ages 6 months to 3 years.The 

SRC, as well as certain other 

individuals and organisations rep 

resented on the creche management 

committee. believes- that the 

present creche fees (subsidized by 

the University Council) of Rl40 

per month (with three subsidized 

places at R100) are above the 

affordable level for most 

university students, as well as 

workers and certain other 

members of staff. 

However, to continue our efforts 

to achieve lower creche fees, it is 

very important that students, 

academic and other university staff 

who would be interested 

using 

he creche faciiities contact us: 

We need to know whether you 

knew of this facility before reading 

this letter, whether you can afford 

the fees, whether you have 

transport to take your children to 

the creche, which is in Parktown, 

and whether you would like to 

make any additional comments or 

suggestions. 

For example, piuents may want to 

arrange a co-operative transport 

system, or may be willing to 

provide voluntary assistance to the 

creche to reduce costs. 

Please contact SRC Women's 

Pordoiio at 7l{-3101 or ar SRC 

Viva Wits 

As a disciple of the teachings of 

Jesus Christ, Gandhi and Martin 

Luther King, and as an ardent 

supporter of the Freedom Charter 

and the democratic struggle, I 

would like to add my opinions to 

thos already flying around 

concerning the even8 of May 30. 

-By 

adopting a 

non-violend Gandhian model of 

presenting ourselves, in waves of 

30, for afiest we immediateiy 

attained an immense moral 

advantage over the oppressors. 

Our strength in the National 

shuggle, internationally, has 

always been our moral advantage 

over the Boer 4b We only 

maintain this advantage as long as 

we do not sink to their leve-. 

The strength of non-violent 

action lies in the refusal oi 

participants to retaliate even, in the 

extreme, to the point of death. 

This is perhaps the most difficult 

course to take, for it requires far 

more than just an emotional 

commitment to the cause, it 

requlres also a strong spiritual 

aspect. It also involves a. negation 

of the traditional methods of 

dehumanising one's opponents - 

something that Boer nationaiism 

has refined to an art - instead one 

must recognise the humanity of the 

enemy and thus refuse to commit 

against him the violence which he 

commits. 

Our strong moral foundation 

crumbled when we retaliated. in 

our anger, againsthese men. With 

the first stone all our justification 

was destroyed and a vital statement 

againstyranny made a mockery. 

R G DUNCAN . BA III 

Boo Wits 

Not being of your university, I 

felt it my dufy to comment on the 

activities on your c:rmpus which to 

say the least, I find disturbing. 

Reading the thoroughly biased 

and one-sided articles in the 3 June 

issue of Wits Student, I shall be 

very surprised if this letter appears 

in your publication, since I would 

presume that an editorial staff 

which presents such a unilateral, 

subjective and narrow viewpoint, 

would not be interested in 

aconcepts which we of the Western 

world call "Freedom of Soeech" - 

perhaps if I was a black student, 

who submitted a story about the 

police attacking me, you would 

print the ietter...? 

Having said that, I would also 

like to say I know apartheid is 

unjust, and I know the government 

is unjustified in some (and I say 

some - not all) of its actions. To 

speak plainly however, if students 

ask for shit, shit is what they'll get! 

Police beating students as a 

unique concept is most obviously 

wrong. Police beating students 

which are merely peacefully 

protesting is also most assuredly 

wrong. But police beating student 

which are (a) attacking the police, 

(b) holding illegal gatherings, (c) 

disturbing the normal life of other 

students, (d) inciting crowds and 

(e) obstructing traffic flow in 

Johannesburg streets maY not be 

totally unyustified" Some sort of 

resEaint must quite obviousiy be 

placed on these troublesome 

students, if only for the sake of 

keeping our civilisation intact. 

At our faculty of Veterinary 

Science we lay hold of a concept 

which seems to be fgreign to the 

Wits campus. Rather than playing 

foolish political games, whilst 

being sponsored by large imageseeking.companies 

and failing our 

exams we have a thing called 

woRK, (spelt w-o-R-K). This 

has to do with studying towards a 

worthwhile degree, and studying 

properly and continuously until we 

itaue titis degree. PerhaPs the 

students of Wits, which cause so 

much trouble, so often, should stoP 

worrying about issues which don't 

concern them and rather utilise 

their intelligence in an academic 

playground which the univenitY, I 

am led to believe, does offer to 

those who seek it. 

Anyone wishing to rePly to this 

letter should write to: 

The Editor 

onderstepoort students" 

Newspaper 

c/oBox 12409 

ONDERSTEPOORT 

0110 

R KENNEDY-SMITH 

Bu rad 

knows 

best 

Your recent article on the 

"Crescent in Crisis" contains a 

number of inaccuracies and I 

would like to set the record 

sftaight. 

Burad Securities Limited has 

purchased "The Crescent" for R2 

million and not R4 milion as stated 

in vour article. This is conditional 

on-the purchaser applying for and 

obtaining amendment of the Town 

Planning Scheme and the removai 

of any restrictive conditions 

ralating to "The Crescent" in order 

to change is zoning. The sale does 

not include the Wits" squash 

courts. 

The Crescent building requires 

extenslve repairs and would cost 

the university a considerable 

amount of money if renovations 

were to be undertaken. At the 

same time the university wishes to 

pursue the development of the 

Student Village in Parktown near 

the Ernest Oppenheimer Hall. 

Normally it is likely to be many 

years before the funds become 

available for this development. At 

the time the university received an 

offer for the "The Crescent" it 

appeared to be an oppoffunity to 

replace a dilapidated University 

residence with a modern exciting 

ventue in student housing. 

Shouid the saie be completed the 

proceeds from the sale will enable 

the university to rehouse ail the 

residents from "The Crescent" and 

a considerable number of other 

students in more satisfactory 

accommodation than at present. 

Under the circumstances the 

objections raised by you are not in 

the best interests of students. 

J C SKINNER 

Director 

Division of Information 

Public Affairs. 

We apologise for any factual 

inaccuracies in the report. We 

maintain however, that many 

students are opposed to the 

demolition of the Crescent. 

tGt f \rE l Et mffimffitFtinn 

& 

Gampus 

unity at 

stake 

Campus unity had been at its 

shongest point in a long time with 

a broad united base voicing joint 

opposition to a number of issues, 

including police presence on 

campus 

Then, the Muslim Students' 

Association $4SA) decided to hold 

an exlibition declaring their unity 

and solidarity with the Palestinian 

"oppressed" peoples of the Middle 

East. This display of what I 

consider to be violent and 

pernicious Anti/Semitism took 

place on the last day of the second 

term, June 6. 

it was claimed that the reason for 

the display occuring on this day 

was that this day was the 

International Palestinian Solidarity 

day, but I'would like o suggest that 

if any solidarity had really been 

wanted to be expressed, that 

another day would have been 

chosen, and lot the last day of 

tenn, a day which-I consider ,was 

chosen so as to provoke 

antagonism, more than to educate. 

I do not claim to be an exoerr on 

the Middle Easrern situation and I 

cherish the right of Freedom ;of 

Speech on campus, but at the same 

time, I think that any acts such as 

the issuing pf violentlyAnti/Semitic 

propaganda materials, and the 

painting of the Palestinian (?) flag 

on the graffiti wall, an act that the 

arbitration committee had not 

agreed to, are only designed to 

enflame the feelings of any Jewish 

srudent on campus. This, I feel is 

not the role of the university and it 

is a great pity, that in times of 

crises in South Africa that certain 

groups feel it necessary to stir 

naiscent hatreds and thereby split 

the campus into two distinct 

groups, something very 

unnecessarv. 

I would furthermore like to 

commend all the Jewish students 

involved in Friday's occurences, 

for I think that the way in which 

they were able to discuss a response 

and prevent any violence from 

erupting was commendable. 

Tensions were indeed running 

high, and the fact that the entire 

affair could be dealt with nonviolently 

should be taken as an 

example of successful student 

negotiations. 

WELL DONEI! 

I question the Palestinian flag 

being painted on the graffiti wall, 

for the flag that was painted, was 

NOT the Palestinian flag, which 

has some yellow in the black 

triangle, but the Jordanian flag 

(Well, never mind). 

FRANK SAMUELS . BA II

- 

--!I..{.......--...--.-----i----i-----i--.-i.ii:--iii5|-lll|.i.-lll$|l|.|.||[..rW 

INTERVARSITY 

Rugby 

the 

good and bad 

The Under 20 rugby side playing 

in their tournament at Pretoria 

performed with great credit.They 

lost narrowly o Cape Town (7-3), 

did well to hold the powerful 

Potchefshoom side to 28-13 and 

The first XV gave a dismal 

performance in their intervarsity 

at Eliis Park against Cape Town. 

They played with little committ - 

ment and were hammered 39-0. 

However it would be unfair to 

defeated Rhodes 20-10. 

detract from the fine performance 

It is interesting to note that both ,of the lkeys. They have one of their 

Cape Town and potch ended up tbest sides in many yean and played 

unbeaten. The Fotch team beat with great flair. 

Tukkies 18-9 in the final game- 

Tukkies having 

For Wits, scrum half 

already accounted 

Quentin 

Posthumus, gave a plucky 

for 

display 

Stellenbosch. 

behind a beaten pack 

Wits 

while full 

captain, Gary Puterman, was 

chosen for 

back Grant Sutherland showed 

the SAU Under 20 side 

enterprise but gained little 

at 

support. 

tull back. 

Karateka 

Wits entered the SAU karate 

tournament with high hopes as they 

boasted three Springboks. Wits 

gained fimt and second places in 

the Men's Individual Kata -Harry 

Chweidan and Panico Protopapas 

coming first and second. As 

expected Wits then won the team 

event, 

In the kumite competition the Wie 

team didn't loose a fight and ended 

up with 52 points. Cape Town 

Fly-half, Charlie Joffe, crashes to the ground during 

the match against Cape Town. 

Another Victory 

The Wits gymnastswon their SAU 3. ketoria 

tournament . In doing so they 4. Free Sate 

ended Stellenbosch's succesful run 

of four successive whs. 

A Witsie won the Victor Ludorum 

trophy for the second successive 

year. Gavin Karg succeeded Steven 

Flaks as the outstanding male 

gymnast and won Protea colours. 

The men also won their overall 

team trophy whilst the women 

finished a close second to Tukkies 

in the combined results the following 

points were awarded: 

entered 

l.Wib 512 

teams 

2. Stellenbosch 333 

Judo jumps for ioy 

the Wits judo women won the Under 56kg events, even though Ritchie gained tfuee secorrd places. 

SAU title for the third fime in four she was officially an Under 48kg The mens team did not enjoy the 

years and tree women were entry. She was clearly the most same measure of success and 

selected for the SAU team- outstanding competitor and again finished fifth . Mention should be 

Natascha Meisler (captain of the won the "Best Individual Judoka" made of the women's coach Danie 

Protea side), Lydia Ritchie and award. 

Brewer, who competed for RAU 

Sally Buckton. 

Sally Buckton also performed and won the Under 71kg category. 

Natascha Wits' ace Springbok, well aad won the Under 66kg and He also won the best individual 

also won the Under 52kg and Under 72kg divisions, while Lydia male award. 

The Wits SAU comPetitors. 

finished second with 41 and 

hetoria third with 40. 

Angela Toulouras, the SAJKA 

champion won the individual 

women's kata but the team finished 

second behind Potch. Angela again 

won SAU colours as did Harry 

Chweidan, Panico and Pavlo 

Protopapas and Mark Silberman. 

The trophy for the best all 

rounder went to Wits' national 

champion, Harry Chweidan. 

299 

283 

Fall ing to 

the top 

This year's SAU took place at 

Klerksdorp.Eight university teams 

the senior Reiative Work 

(RW) competition including two 

from Wits.Relative Work 

involves formation flYing within a 

certain time limit. 

The junior accuracy took Place 

over four rounds and it was 

obvious from the start that the 

teams would have their work cut 

out to get anywhere near the disc. 

High winds and a tricky topdrift 

made it difficult to despatch the 

jumpers over the desired "spot" 

and some poor times were record - 

ed. 

The overall result hinged on the 

last jump and Mark Bowman 

landed 10m away from the disc to 

give Wits the gold and the tophy 

which tiey had also won iast year. 

In the last round of the senior RW 

event ,both Wits teams put in 

creditable performances,but it was 

Wits A who emerged as the 

winners by three points taking the 

SAU with 84 points.Wits B 

finished second with 8l points and 

Natal third with 67 points. 

Doug Smart, Chris Joubert, 

Cameron Condie and lvan Coural 

earned their Protea colours. The 

overall winners of the meet were 

Wits fittr a first and second in the 

senior event and a first in the 

junior event.

SPORTS 

Soccer triumph 

ffi:t3!!t't'!:$ittt.tti:lt$ii:i:::::::i:i::i:::.:i:!:::i:i:!::i!::iii!::iii::::t!iFJJJJ!rrFi,5YItllstF.tBlEltlll3s3t 

The soccer team won the SAU 

Eournrment at Strellenbosch in fine 

sfyle and were rarely extended in 

finishing the week undeafeted. In 

the course of their programme 

Wits scored twenty goals and 

conceded on-ly two. 

Their results were as follows: 

Wits vs RAU 8-0 

Wits vs Durban 5-1 

Wits vs PMB 

)-l 

Wits VS Rhodes 3-0 

Wits vs PE 4-0 

Wits vs UCT (final) 2-0 

The leading individual goal 

scorers were Marc Bals. Kevin 

Goldrick and Robert Kosseff. 

These three, along with Franco 

Monzeglio, Hugh Melamdowitz, 

Evan Speechley (captain), Gary 

Felsher and Ronald Raad were 

chosen for the hotea side. 

Kevin Goldrick was named the 

outstanding player of the tournament. 

Runner-up for this award 

was team-mate Marc Bals. Derek 

Biancksee and Jimmy Backos were 

named as coach and manager of fhe 

SAU side respectively and aiso as 

chairperson and secretary of the 

Intervanitv Soccer Associafion. 

Winning run 

Wits finished second in the 

intervarsity cross country at 

Grahar-nstown, The course was a 

most interesting one and fully 

tested the runners. 

South African champion and Wits 

student , Mark Plaatjes showed his 

immsilss class to finish first, one 

minute and six seconds ahead of a 

shong field. The next Witsie home 

was Randy L,eisegang who came in 

seventh with Glen Wearne 

finishing ninth. 

Wits trailed Stelienbosch bY seven 

points in the final tabie with Natal 

in third place. In the road relay the 

following day Wits finished third. 

Clash of 

swords 

The Wits women fencers were 

placed first in the SAU Fencing 

Tournament . Leading the women 

to victory was Pam Matthews who 

was frst in both the foil and ePee 

sections. Her team-mate Dean van 

Rensburg gained a creditable 

fourth piace in each of these events. 

Both women were awarded Protea 

coloun. 

As is often the case the men were 

less successful. Graeme Wald most 

the best Wits male fencer. He was 

first in the foil sectior and third in 

both sabre and epee sections. 

Graeme was awarded the "Best 

Man at Arms" award and Protea 

colours.The wits men finished 

third and the Wtts team (women 

and men) was also Placed third' 

The men's section was keenly 

contest with Wits finishing thrid 

behind strong Cape Town and 

Pietermaritzburg combinations. 

Most inpressive for Wits was the 

fine performance of Renato 

Pasqualucci, a relative newcomer 

to the game who received an allstar 

award and was chosen for the 

SAU teem 

Martin Bellamy was selected for 

the SAU side for the fourth 

successive year and Michael Elias 

made his first appearance. The 

Protea team played the SA interprovincial 

championshlp whlch 

Playi ng the ball 

The netball women showed greatLeigh Botha, sefting up attacking 

improvement over last yearsopportunitites, 

the Witsies held 

performance and tneir efforts at their own against most of the ofher 

Pretoria drew favourable sides. 

comment. 

The netbali club is undoubtedly 

With Tandy Thomo and Gillian frim1y on its feet and they will be a 

Law scoring goals regularly and 

Wits 'player side to watch at next year's 

of the tournament', intervarsitv. 

Clash of sticks 

The Wis women's hockey tear4 Cfuulie Pereira (as captain) and 

improved on their performances in Mark Marinus were selected for 

recent years to finish fifth in their the SAU 'A' side whilst Mark 

tournament in Cape Town. Jeffrey and Tony Rushton were 

Demonstrating greater purPose in chosen for the B'team 

their play, Wits defeated Cape 

Town, 2-0, Stellenbosch B 1-0, 

Squash 

Durban 3-0, and OFS 3-0 but lost 

to Stellenbosch 1-0 and 

Porchefstoom 2-0. 

Frances Jones was chosen for the 

Wits mens's squash team was 

SAU side for the second successive 

somewhat depleted 

year 

without 

whilst provincial player Liz 

their 

top two players Derrick Nitch 

Francis was somewhat unlucky to 

and 

MrchRob. 

be overlooked. 

As a result the team slipped to 

The men's hockey team were 

1 lth place but Ryan zail playing at 

expected to do well and their fifth 

number one exelled against the 

place was a little disappointing.' 

cream of intervarsity players. 

Durban won the tournament, able 

The women's team did much 

to adapt better to the wet, overcast 

better to finish third with last years 

conditions, as Wits lost all chance 

SAU champion, Chantal Ciiftonof 

winning through an inabilitY to 

Park leading their challenge. 

convert short cornen into goals. 

Unfornrnately Chantai was beaten 

Mark Plaatjes - winner of the SAU 

Basket 

Cross_country. 

I on this occasion by her sister 

Angelique, who played for Pmb 

University. 

t 

Wits staged a highly succesful were held after the SAU 

basketball intervarsity at hall 29 tournament and did well to reach 

on the west campus. 

the final against Transvaal. 

Having lost their entire team from 

the previous year the Wits women 

were inexperienced and were not 

expected to win thet match. 

However, they played extremely 

well which bodes well for next 

year and created something o? an 

upset by defeatiing Durban Univenity 

by one poinl 

The Wits women- also finished 

second in the three-point shooting 

competition and to round off their 

achievements Mairead Carstens 

won the most promising player 

award. 

Martin Bellamy - his fourth 

successive year in the 

SAU Dasketball ream.

on imports 

UDI RHODESIA GOES 

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.i-( t. rl' -.rrd l. {FL -.r..r.,r d rb There got to be ttris stanoing pxeM w.?e all I-;';;:";::J;;;"T"=7L;lOn othe 

. members 

att 

of the Mushroom biub _ we're 

kept 

in tne the | 

| p"go 

dark and fed on horseshit til - - - '-v 'v rrvF"" r' 

Clem Tholet, Rhodesian 

advertising 

executive 

I -,,..l;ll1.- itb 

We were fighting for our 

government, 

country, for a beloved p_opulation. We require 

country. The terrorists? I that as much of ' by skimmiag out 

Censorship had become a selfevident 

truth. 

comment 

all media coverage and political 

the 

don't really know what they factual 

which doesn,t 

news suit its 

as possible Even purposes, 

were fighting for. 

goes archaelogy has created 

over 

could a similar 

so 

not 

that the escape. 

Val Ross, public, 

A storm raged situation here. 

having 

over the 

all sides of Zimbabwe 

!grn1er, Shamva district the picture, 

ruins following 

can in their 

It is unlikely that censorship will 

investigations 

z,tmoabwe. 

wisdom, 

proving 

come 

ttrat ttrey 

to their 

fool the majoriry of South Africa's 

were 

own 

built 

conclusions 

by the region's 

The government's clampdown 

on it.rt 

,population, who don't need. 

on 

. 

m.l followed proved 

indigenous population. The newspapers 

fhis 

ao inform 

stated 

them of the 

archaelogist 

the press under the emergency 

regulations seeFls to have taken 

South Africa by surprise. 

The restrictions are the most 

comprehensive yet seen: no 

journalists may be present 

'unrest 

at 

sihrations', there can be no 

reporting on SADF or SAp 

actions, detainees names may not 

be published and the u.gue 

definition of 

'subversive' 

statements prevents the possibility 

of much political comment. 

_ 

The public is now completely 

dependendant on the Bureau of 

Informafion and the police as the 

only legal' source of news. 

The situation in Dre_ 

independence Zimbabwe 

(Rhodesia) was similar, suggesting 

that the consequences of such 

blatant censorship could well be 

disastrous for South Africa 

Modesia's censors leaped into 

action minutes after UDI was 

declared - said Sandy Robertson 

1965. Editor of Salisburv,s 

Chronicle : "three censois 

walked into the office at 

lunchtime on t. I 

November - that,s when 

Ian Smith addressed the 

nation - and almost before 

h-e finished speaking these 

chaps were in the office". 

They stayed for several years. 

The intention, said Minister ol 

Info.rmation P K van der Byl was 

to "prevent hiehlv biased 

and- distorted ploiaganda, 

as distinct ffom- fictuai 

news, which could excite 

and influence undulv 

those unsophisticate'rt 

elements of our 

imnosed 

lntentlon to be at worst 

misleading, at best laughable. 

Said van der Byl: rI tried to 

get as much control of the 

media as possible. you 

get the liberal, and behind 

the liberal comes the 

communist. Therefore I 

did what I could to trv 

and discipline the thing."- 

"Discipline" included the 

expulsion and imprisonment of 

journalists. Van der Byl, in 

retrospect, believed that',there 

wcre far too few" such 

actions. 

As censonhip took part in the 

country, van der Byl was more 

forthcoming about the task of his 

department, which was trnot 

merely to disseminate 

information from an 

information point of view, 

but to play its part i n 

fighting the propbganda 

battle on behalf of this 

country. If the 

information department is 

to improve and strengthen 

the national ideologylhen 

indeed it is d-oing a 

worthwhile iob." 

Censorship" was officiallv 

disconfinued in 1969. Aut its 

impact remained. A blinkered 

vision of Rhodesia had become 

introduced 

concerned said it was 

"oKaJ to say the yellow 

people had built it,-but I 

wasn't allowed to mention 

radio carbon dates.', 

. The black population had long 

been a source of cheap labour foi 

white-owned agribusiness, with a 

concomitant violent discipline 

being imposed on tlrem. 

The room turned to terror - tr f 

wanted to step up the use 

of the bayonei. That's the 

most effective propaganda 

- the bayonetr" said van der 

Byl. A popular T-shirt of the time 

put it crudely yet successfullv _ 

"when you'v'e got them 6y 

the balls, theiahearts ana 

minds will follow." 

The war was officially being 

won. Yet by 1978, guerillas were 

in control of large parts of the 

country and had military cagrmand 

headquarters a hundred kilometres 

from the nearest friendly border. 

_ Self-delusion was only ended by 

the elections. In 1978, Bishop Abel 

Muzorewa was entrenched as 

Prime Minister in an "Internal 

Settlement" election with an 

IT ALOI\] 

reign of tenor existing in many 

townships. 

They don't need photographs and 

stories to remind them of.poverty, 

of the housing shortage, of poor 

working conditions and pitiful 

wages. 

But the white public often does. 

The clampdown on t}re media will 

do little more than preserve the 

isolation and division of 

apartheid's notorious laws. Which 

is, of course, what Botha's 

government wants most. 

-Which leaves one wondering 

what is really going on out there 

Dehnd the blackout, in the areas 

wiere censorship will have iittle 

effecL 

Question: What do you 

nlean when you talli 

about "terrorism"? 

Marie (a South African 

schoolgirl): lt's the 

communists you know. 

Russia trying-to take over 

South Africa for the 

strategic position and the 

gold and allthat and the 

blacks don't know any 

better because they'ri; not 

properly educated hnd if a 

communist 

going to come 

ro rnem and say, do this 

and that and the other. and 

we'll give you a black' 

government - well they just 

won't know any better; fhe 

blacks won't, ;ind they'll 

believe the communisis" 

official 64%poll. I-ess than a year 

later, after the Lancaster House 

agreement, Muzorewa took 3 seats 

ofthe 100 in the pre-independance 

elections. 

Whites 

part 

who had 

of 

been 

white 

convinced 

consciousness. Areas by the media 

as 

that 

diverse 

Joshua Nkomo 

as ethics, science and would win, 

w:u 

were 

were 

stunned 

viewed 

as 

through the Robert 

national 

Mugabe's ZANU(pF) 

myopia. 

took 

By this srage, a 57% absotute majority. 

The 

Mugabe 

F4odesian Heratd asserted 

that "the 

had been depicted 

need 

as 

for 

a marxist 

a degree 

of self--imposed 

monster by Ian Smith - yet 

press 

it was 

Quotes from Julie 

censorship 

he who had popped 

has 

Rhodesia's 

al ways 

Frederickse's "None but 

been 

bubble. 

accepted." The need for 

ourselvestt and r,A 

The current south African different kind of war". 

Wirs Srudcn! is cditcd b 

1.1:-Y.::""Ti? of the Witwrrersrand, alt of 

oprnrons 

I .l,in Srnr^r, Avcnue, 

expressedo not purporr Johannesburg.Thc 

!o be rhosc-ot 

views and 

rr,. c"r".ii'ri',;""'i1;;:;d;"R€presenaaliv€

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