Pressure Points -- New Internationalist

new internationalist
issue 159 - May 1986

Pressure points

People in every Western countryare taking action of some kind against the South African Government. Dedicated individuals work voluntarily in offices, deliver leaflets and hold endless meetings. And black South Africans are grateful for this support. They believe that the future of the country will be determined by black people themselves but see Western isolation of the Government as a key way of reducing the length of their battle.

In general they approve of the methods used by Western anti-apartheid groups, though some people feel Western activists wrongly assume the right to determine which groups in the liberation movement are worth supporting and which are not. But they are clear that we must step up the pressure for economic sanctions by our governments and disinvestment by Western companies (see Black South Africa Speaks).

Here we profile the main groups involved and assess their action priorities according to the symbols below.

	AWARENESS RAISING Involves public meetings, conferences and workshops; producing publications; and contacts with the mass media.
	DIRECT AID Involves legal aid to victims; aid to refugees and families of political pnsoners; scholarships for study outside South Africa; and health, education and development projects.
	PEOPLE’S SANCTIONS Involves consumer boycotts of South African products; opposing cultural, academic and sporting links; and withdrawal of accounts from banks with South African links.
	DIRECT ACTION Involves protest marches, demonstrations, and vigils; picketing of shops and South African embassies; and lobbying politicians.
	PRESSURE FOR SANCTIONS AND DISINVESTMENT Involves campaigning to force companies to stop investing in South Africa; for government bans on trade and loans, and for an embargo on arms sales and military co-operation.
	SUPPORT FOR ARMED STRUGGLE Involves financial and material support for national liberation movements.

[image, unknown]

Campaign Against Racial Exploitation (CARE),
PO Box 51,
Kensington Park, SA 5068
Recognised by the UN as the national anti-apartheid organisation. It is a coalition of groups concerned about racial exploitation within Australia and Australian involvement in racial exploitation overseas.

Anti-Apartheid Movement
P0 Box K557, Haymarket
NSW 2000

Free Namibia and SA Campaign
130 Little Coilin Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Community Aid Abroad
(Southern Africa Support Group),
GPO Box 1000, Sydney
NSW 2001

Luthuli Group
GPO Box 1622, Canberra
ACT 2601

Western Australian CARE
P0 Box 159, Mt Lawley
WA 6050

[image, unknown]

Citizens Against Racism and Apartheid,
10183 -89 Street
Edmonton TIN I PS

Toronto Committee for the
Liberation of Southern Africa
427 510cr Street West, Toronto
MIS 1X7
Has survived over 13 years to build a unique and extensive resource center on Southern Africa and an occasional magazine, Southern Africa Report. Still no full-time staff and there is a limit to what volunteers can achieve. But TCLSA sees its work as more importaat than ever, aiming to shift the emphasis of its educational work from anti-apartheid to pro-liberation.

Canadians Coneerned about Southern Africa,
Box 145 Adelaide St Station, Toronto USC 2J6
A Canada-wide organization formed in 1975 to help co-ordinate solidarity activities throughout the country. Believes in action more than education, which means raising material aid for liberation movements (specifically ANC and SWAPO), campaigning for release of political prisoners and to isolate SA regime. Sees its main job at the moment as calling on Mulroney Govt to impose comprehensive, mandatory sanctions.

SACTU Solidarity Committee
Box 460, Postal Station J,
Toronto M4J 4Z2
Aims to mobilize trade union support for organized labour in SA.

Southern Africa Solidarity Committee,
c/o Huston House,
2138 McIntyre St,
Regina Saskatchewan
Succeeded in having Regina declared an apartheid-free zone and works with local council to ensure divestment from SAlinked companies.

Inter-Church Coalition on Africa
129 St Clair Ave W,
Toronto M4V 1N5
Aims to educate church constituency and has produced successful SA Action Packet. Stresses need to recognize complicity of churches in SA.

Task Force on the Churches and
Corporate Responsibility
129 St Clair Ave W,
Toronto M4V INS

International Defence and Aid
Fund for Southern Africa,
P0 Box 1034, Station B,
Ottawa KIP SRI

Southern Africa Action Coalition
c/o 604 -620 View Street
Victoria BC V6W IJO and 2624
Cypress Street, Vancouver
V6J 3N2

Manitoba Coalition of
Organizations Against Apartheid
Box 2147, Winnipeg R3C 3R4

[image, unknown]

HART,
P0 Box 9204
Wellington
Originally an acronym for Halt All Racist Tours, the success of HART is measured by its absorption into NZ language. Public opinion against sporting contacts with SA has changed from 3% in 1969 to 65% in 1985. Now a broad anti-apartheid movement campaigning for economic sanctions, offeringnon-partisan aid to all recognised liberation movements and trying to raise awareness of links between racism in SA and that at home.

International Defence and Aid
Fund for Southern Africa
Box 28067, Wellington

Citizens Association for Racial Equality,
Box 2794, Auckland

ANC Support Group
31 Colenso Street,
Christchurch NZ

University Students Association
P0 Box 6047,
Wellington

[image, unknown]

Anti-Apartheid Movement
13 Mandela Street,
London NWI ODW
The main UK campaign on SA. Membership up 50% in last year and number of local groups doubled to 120. Sees itself as action - rather than education-oriented. Organises national rallies and consumer boycotts of SA products. Offers direct aid specifically to ANC and SWAPO.

End Loans to Southern Africa
c/o 134 Wrottesley Road,
London NW10 5XR
Produces Barclays Shadow Report, model for other efforts, and plays major role in Boycott Barclays Campaign. Secured end of unconditional loans to SA Govt by all High St banks.

Christian Concern for Southern Africa,
2 Eaton Gate,
London SW1 W9BL

International Defence and Aid
Fund for Southern Africa
64 Essex Road,
London NI SLR

Committee on SA War
Resistance, EM Box 2160
London WCI N 3XX

War on Want
1 London Bridge Street,
London SEI 9SG

Namibia Support Committee
P0 Box 16,
London NWS 2LW

Catholic Institute for International Relations,
22 Coleman Fields,
London NI 7AF

Oxfam,
274 Banbury Road
Oxford 0X2 7DZ
Starting major campaign on SA this year.

British Council of Churches
2 Eaton Gate,
London SW1 W9BL

World University Service
20/21 Compton Terrace
London NI 2UN

Amnesty International,
5 Roberts Piace,
London ECIR OEJ

United Nations Association
3 Whitehall Court,
London SWIA 2EL

Third World First,
232 Cowley Road,
Oxford 0X4 I UN

National Union of Students
461 Holloway Road,
London N7 6LJ

Co-operation for Development
Floyd Cottage, Asheridge,
Chesham, Bucks HP5 2UX

[image, unknown]

Free South Africa Movement
646 6th Street, Salts 200,
Washington DC 20003
An offshoot of Transafrica which has led the campaign for Government sanctions by organizing lobbies and demonstrations, and has won much publicity through involving celebrities, some of whom have been prepared tobe arrestedto maketheir point.

American Committee on Africa / Africa Fund,
198 Broadway New York,
NY 10038
ACA is the leading US campaign for divestment by companies, while the Africa Fund produces educational materials and offers direct aid.

Shell Oil Boycott,
United Mineworkers,
916th Street NW
Washington DC 2006

Campaign for Illinois
Divestment in SA, 343 South
Dearborn, Suite 919, Chicago
Illinois 60604

[image, unknown]

ON SANCTIONS

Greg Malebo, member of the General and Allied Workers Union.

'The argument that blacks would be hurt by sanctions is all idle talk. We are suffering already from rampant poverty, disease and massive unemployment and a little suffering added to our burden won't make much difference. It is striking that this argument is pushed by those who enjoy privileged positions at work and in the community. It comes from those who have - either directly or indirectly - a stake in the scheme of things. When the system of capitalism, which is the real enemy, is finally crushed, these people will definitely lose something.'

Oko Mabasa, English Literacy teacher.

'Although I agree that blacks will suffer most in the event of sanctions, you have to be aware that blacks are suffering now. And adding this little suffering to their present plight will almost certainly alleviate things. Only those with full bellies can find justification in the argument against sanctions. The haves and most certainly not the have-nots. The readiness with which America has applied sanctions to Libya, alongside its reluctance to enforce them against South Africa, is a clear example of the West's hypocrisy.'