Resolutions of the
SOUTH AFRICA
DOCUMENT P.C. Constitutional Proposals and the 'Disorderly' Bill.
* That our primary task is the building of independent workers organisations - independent of the
National Forum Committee bosses, the state and reactionary petty bourgeois leadership on the basis of actively taking up the daily struggle of workers against exploitation and
THE FOLLOWING are a selection of the resolutions and commissions voted for in the June 11-12, 1983 conference of the National Forum Committee. (Source; The National Forum Committee publication). RESOLUTION 2 That this National Forum noting:
(1) The struggle waged by the toiling masses is nationalist in character and socialist in content;
(2) The Black working class is the vanguard of this just struggle towards the total liberation from racist capitalism;
(3) The future Azanian state will be an anti-racist, democratic one;
(4) The international imperialism and racist capitalist systems promote the bantustans as counter-revolutionary elements to the revolutionary forces; And further noting that
(5) The usage of the land shall not be to the benefit of Azanians only but for the benefit of all Africa, the Third World, and the international community as a whole; Therefore resolves that:
(1) The land and all that belongs to it will be wholly owned and controlled by the Azanian people;
(2) Each individual will be expected to contribute labour according to ability;
(3) All proceeds accruing from collective labour shall be distributed according to the needs of each and every individual in Azania:
(4) The usage of the land and all that accrues from it shall be aimed at ending all forms of exploitation of man by man. COMMISSION 1 THE BASIS FOR PRINCIPLED UNITY Our struggle for national liberation is directed against the system of racial capitalism which holds the people of Azania in bondage for the kenefit of the small minority of white capitalists and their allies, the white workers and the reactionary sections of the Black middle class. The struggle against apartheid is no more than the point of departure for our liberatory efforts. Apartheid will only go once the system of racial capitalism itself has been abolished by the people of Azania. 22
The Black working class is the driving force of our struggle. They alone can end the system as its stands today because they alone have nothing at all to lose. They have a world to gain in a democratic, anti-racist Azania in which their interests shall be paramount. It is the historic task of the Black working class and its organisations to mobilise the urban and the together with sections of the Black middle classes in order to put an end to the system of oppression and capitalist exploitaiton by the white ruling class.
The successful conduct of our national liberation struggle depends the firm basis of principle whereby we will ensure that the liberation struggle will not be turned against our people by treacherous and opportunist leaders'. . Of these princifollowing are the important:
* Anti-racism and anti-imperial-
Non-collaboration with oppressors and their political instru-
That our struggle is one led by the Black working class to put an end to exploitation and oppression. The Foundations:
That anti-racism will not only be an aim but a method of struggle.
That we actively mobilise the exploited and oppressed in opposition to the combined strategy of reform and repression as manifested in the
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oppression.
* That we popularise the demand for a united front of workers' organisations in direct opposition to any Popular Front Strategy.
That we popularise and explain thoroughly the demand for a Constituent Assembly as opposed to the popular demand for a National Con-
That our co-operation be based principled tendencies have the right to propagate their programmes and the right to criticism but must adhere to the democratically drawn up principles and carry out the decisions taken by the majority after full discussion. COMMISSION 3 THE LAND QUESTION The commission recognises the need for a blueprint structured as follows: 1. Ownership. 2. Distribution. 3. Usage. Ownership:
The general feeling was that the ownership of the land should rest in the dictatorship of the Black working class.
On the question why the land is going to be owned by the dietatorship of the Black proletariat it was answered that the outcome of the struggle should not be viewed in isolation from the fact that the Black working class should control the outcome of what they have struggled for and guard the future developments of socialism. Distribution: It was felt that in a socialist Azania each individual will be expected to contribute his or her labour according to ability and, therefore, the distribution of the proceeds accruing from collective labour shall be distributed
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Usage:
The usage of the land and all that accrues from it shall be aimed at ending all forms and means of exploitation of man by man. The land shall Manifesto of the Azanian people be held in trust by the state and not be alienated to the detriment of the people. The usage of land shall not be to the benefit of Azania only but for the benefit of all Africa and international trade. Land should act as a of organisations of the oppressed and exploited unifying force.
people of Azania held at Hammanskraal on 11-12 June 1983 and convened
Forum Committee, having deliberated on vital questions
*
* affecting our nation and in particular having considered the implications of deal' strategy (the President's Council,
COMMISSION 4 constitutional proposals and Koornhof Bills) resolves:
OUR MINIMUM DEMANDS
(1) To condemn the murder of freedom fighters by the racist minority
This document embodies broad principles which can be regarded
(2) To issue the following manifesto for consideration by all the organi.
beginning of an ongoing process. The sations of the people to be reviewed at the second National Forum to be continuity may be maintained by convened during the Easter Weekend of 1984.
constant contact with all the organi-
Our struggle for national liberation is directed against the system of racial and the demands capitalism which holds the people of Azania in bondage for the benefit of thereby expanded upon. This would the small minority of white capitalists and their allies, the white achieved if the
NFC convene and the reactionary sections of the Black middle class. The struggle against meetings of this nature, not later than apartheid is no more than the point of departure for our liberation efforts.
one year from this date. The NFC may
Apartheid will be eradicated with the system of racial capitalism. - co-opt others onto the committee and
The Black working class inspired by revolutionary consciousness is the invite other organisations not present driving force of our struggle. They alone can end the system as it stands today participate in these because they alone have nothing at all to lose. They have a world to gain in a democratic, anti-racist and socialist Azania. It is the historic task of the
That this National Forum realising
Black working class and its organisations to mobilise the urban and the rural the need to clearly define our goals poor together with the radical sections of the middle classes in order to put and objectives in relation to the future an end to the system of oppression and exploitation by the white ruling
Azanian state, and realising that the working class struggle against capitalist
The successful conduct of the national liberation struggle depends on the exploitation and the nation struggle firm basis of principle whereby we will ensure that the liberation struggle will against racial oppression have become not be turned against our people by treacherous and opportunistic "leaders."
one struggle under the general control
Of these principles, the most important are:
and direction of the Black working class; and further realising that the
- Non-collaboration with the oppressor and its political instruments.
present South African racist capitali-
- Independent working-class organisation.
stic order militates against the true
- Opposition to all alliances with ruling-class parties.
aspirations of the broad struggling
This historic conference by the National
Botha Government's
- Anti-racism and anti-imperialism.
led by the Black working masses class therefore posits the following as our demands:
- The right to form trade unions that will heighten revolutionary worker
1. The right to work where we want
- The establishment of a democratic, anti-racist worker Republic in Azania to.
2. The right to form Trade Unions where the interests of the workers shall be paramount through worker control revolutionary that will heighten of the means of production, distribution and exchange.
- State provision of free and compulsory education for all and this education worker consciousness.
3. The establishment of a democratic be geared towards liberating the Azanian people from all forms of oppression, anti-racist worker Republic in Azania of the worker interests where the
- State provision of adequate and decent housing.
shall be paramount through worker provision of free health, legal, recreational and other community control of the means of production, services that will respond positively to the needs of the people.
- Development of one national progressive culture in the process of struggle.
distribution and exchange.
and com-
4. State provision of free
- The land and all that belongs to it shall be wholly owned and controlled pulsory education for all and that this education be geared toward liberating
- The usage of the land and all that accrues to it shall be aimed at ending the Azanian people from all forms of oppression, exploitation and ignor-
In order to bring into effect these demands of the Azanian people, we pledge ance.
5. State provision of free health, legal,
- The abolition of all laws that discriminate against our people on the basis and other community recreational of colour, sex, class, religion or language.
services that will respond positively
- The abolition of all influx control measures and pass laws.
to the needs of the people.
- The abolition of all resettlement and group areas removals.
6. Development of one national pro-
Reintegration of the "bantustan' human dumping grounds into a unitary the culture in process gressive struggle.
of Azania demand immediately:
- The right to work.
exploitation and ignorance.
by the Azanian people.
all forms and means of exploitation.
ourselves to struggle tirelessly for:
23
SOUTH AFRICA
DOCUMENT is that they are primarily organisations activists. To say they are organisations of activists is not intended as a slight in any way, and we believe that there is a great need