Volume 37 Number 02

TUDENTTHIS YEAR'S Free People's Concert left a sourtaste in the mouths of many people. The reason forthis had nothing to do with the music, the venue,or the organization of the concert. It had to dowith some people. Never before has a Frec PeoplesConcert seen so much aggression and violence.And never before have the crowd left the groundin such a mess.Both of these factors are completely contrary tothe idea and spirit of the Free People's Concert.The concert is symbolic. It seryes as a reminder ofthe freedom absent from South African societyand as a symbol of the society we hope to build.After this year's concert, the future of the concertmust be rethought. And, like the concertitself, it's cancellation will also be symbolic.The government, in an attempt to regain lost credibility,announced that forced removals willcease in 1985. Only two months later, the squattercamp of Crossroads, outside Cape Town, has beentransferred into a war zone, where people whowould rather die than move to Khayelitsha arebattling it out daily with the SADF and the SAP.What the South African public don't realize isthat bulldozing shacks and forcing communitiesinto the back of trucks is not the onlv method ofremoval. Moving people to new can takemuch more subtle forms. These include """Lr cutting offwater and food supplies in dn attempt to persuladepeople to move voluntarily.As PW Botha put it in a slip of the tongue to MaggieThatcher: "lVe don't force people to rnove, wecoerce them".In 1984 some drama students tried to set up avideo news and magazine programme which wasto be shown in the canteen during lunch times.Plans were well underway when they were toldthat all items shown on the programme wouldhave to have their content checked by Admin.first.Now in 1985, censorship has once again becomeand issue on Wits campus, with Admin preventingWits Student from publishing pictures of the SMAtaken during Orientation week.We live in a society where freedom of the press isa myth. The government has created a barrage oflaws to protect its institutions, including thepolice, the army, the hospitals and the prisons,from any sort of media attack.We do not need any censorship beyond thealready strict laws of the state. Certainly as a campusnewspaper, we should never be restricted inour coverage of campus events.The recent move by Mr Standenmacher is thereforedeplorable. We should be working against thedrat onian laws of the government, not with them.Worthwhileconversation?Dear Ed.As a senior student of this university,I feel it both my honourand privilege to welcome boththe new and old students backto this institute of higher learningand into the realm ofacademic pursuit.What beautiful legs they have,such ftne tans, and a dress sensesecond to none, yes, you guysincluded! Welcome you sociallyminded people to the realworld? Here our social consciencesstretch further thanwhose 21st it is on SaturdavNight!I feel breathless to be in yourcompany, those of you thathave thought long and hard onthe choice of which directionyour lives should take, so thatyou might better help this countryand help strive for the goalsof its people! How many of youare going to fail B. Comm thisy€ar, or is it B.A. Please youmedics, don't look so smug,you're included as is 80% of thisuniversity.How many of you will be backthis year, as yourselves or in theshape and form of others. Nowiser, brighter or betterinformed than before. Ask yourself,ask your friend on your leftand right what you are.doinghere, perhaps you're heremarking time until that "greencard" comes through, of frivolouslydoing something tooccupy your time until the nextvac. - "Cape Town here wecome!"Come on. let me overhear aworthwhile conversation for achange, all you academics and"socially concerned" people, letme know that you are aware ofthe situation of your reality, ordo I have to share the apparentfantasy of your brief stay in thiswhite haven!You the fortunate few whohave both the opportunity andapparent intellect (by virtue ofthe fact that you're at university,or is our school educationso bad, that some of you managedto slip through!) to helpguide your country into the mid'80's,a period of upheaval,potential change and excitementthat its history has neverseen.Use this opportunity tobecome aware and get involvedbecause you're more responsiblefor the future of this countrythan anyone else. Your silenceand non-activity is form of condonanceand consent to what ishappening around you.If you cannot see it, let me beyour eyes, otherwise leave us inpeace, go back to school, backto Sun City, back to your 2lst'sand stop parking in my place!Anonymous!On differenteducationComment on WS article.Education: weapon or tool?People are brought updifferently. I remember myparents teaching me not tothrow stones. I remember otherchildren who were never taughtthe same lesson.