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should be expending time, tn*rgy end resources on * 1
especially ehan they an already balng undertaken by
other groups.
3. If organised laft wing lntsrsets are going to
undertake certain detention-related activities'In
allianca with othar groups closer to tha cantra
(ag Ubaral oroupa)t tha terms, oatura and function
of thla allianca need to be worked out and apaclflad
In aach case* For example ^ sane have saan a purpose
In trying to inject a graater left-wing contant
Into tha actlvltlaa of pradcftlnantly white, llbaral
groups* ehsthar this should ba tha function of an
allianca cvar a limited issue like datantion needs
to ba aesasead in tarns of productivity and effect.
Thla la not to suggest that thara la no placa
for co-operation bataaan llbaral groups and thosa
further laft, Thla la especially so ragerting
.mutual information inputs, ideas and support In
times of crisis. But It does naad to ba asked
ehether organlsad groups to tha laft of cantra are
bast occupiad in liberal, protest and/or 'preesura-
group 1 politics ovar tha Isaua of datantlons ehan
th|i la already balng undartakan by 'centra* groups.
An assessment of thasa quastlona can possibly
serve to develop both tha atratagy and tactics of
thosa eho saa themselves as part of democratic
opposition in South Africa. *
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NEIL Aggett, Transvaal secretary of tha African Food
and Canning Workers* Union, -au by no aaana tha first
trade union leader to ba detained in tarns of South
Africa's security legislation. Neither was ha tha
first trada unionist to dla In tha custody of aacurlty
police. Before him, unionists Ilka Lookemart
Ngudla (1963), Caleb meyaklmo (1969), Luke Uazeembe
(1976), Lawrenca Ndzange (1976) and Elijah Lou (197?),
dlad ahlla balng held for tha purposss of
interrogation by aacurlty police.
Stata action against trada union officials aaa
not uncoaaon befora 1960: for example', a number of
paopla aaaoclatad with tha African Mine WonXara'
Union aara chargad as a result of tha aasaiva 1946
ains workers 1 strike. But in 1990 tha naa National
Party governmsnt anactad the Suppression of Communism
Act. Tha provisions af that Act ware used in an'
attempt to destroy, or at least weaken. Independent
militant trada unionism*. Of thosa uniona affected
by government's use of this, and other, anti-
working class legislation, tha Food and Canning
•orkere* Union (FCTU) and African Food and Canning
•orkara' Union (A-FCau), warrant special consideration.
For ovar tha dacades, FOau anrJ A-FCW hava andurad
aava aftar wave of stata action against thair
officlala. Nail Aggatt's datantion, and
aubaaquant daath ahlla in security police custody,
la tha latest In a long Una of actions which hava
affected tha organisation of workers In tha food
and canning industry.
•hy hava FCeu and A-FCau attracted so much
atata action? .that kind of unions ara thay that ao
many of thair offlciala hava baan bannad, datalnad,
banished, triad, foread Into exile? Ihat followa
Is a short summary of soaa of thair hiatory, in an
attaapt to contaxtuallaa-atata action* against
indepandant trade uniona, and to aituata tha daath.
in di etantion of tha Tjwjnev*al aacretary of tha
A-FCIPJ.
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.1 Tha Food end Canning ftrk.ro' Unlgn eas
established in tha Western Cap« during 1941. having
bean organised byj**y Alexander, • trade union and
political figure of note in .ox^ing claas struggles
until forcad into exile by a sariaa of banning and
house arrest order*, ahan workers met to
establish the union's Paorl branch, thay wara unable
to obtain a hall In which t