A South African reader was goxd enough to send us a press cutting from th Johannesburg Sunday Chronicle of 13/6/64, reporting the school The Week 3 organised over Whitsun on Africa, We thought it worth quoting - it is surpris* ingly objective = as an example of how the efforts we go to in this country have an effect in South Africa. We shall during the summer be devoting a whole pamphlet to the contributions made at the school. The final outcome will, we believe, amount to a handbook on the situation in South Africa and the position of the various liberation movements,
Londone
"The prospect of armed revolution as the only solution of the South African situation was freely aired by speakers from the platform and the 5 audience at a seminar on Africa held here during the Whitsun week-end, during which London representatives of South African non-White organisations took a leading parte
But although there was much talk about armed revolution and the desirability of hastening it, no one gave any details - except for one speaker who said that activists were busy as a point of policy among South Africa's huge prison population. "Since 1960 there has been a continuous inflow of political activists and an outflow of prison graduates, many converted," he said, There was no further evidence, however, that prison activity was not just a case of making the best of a bad jobe
The semiimrwas organised by The Week, a Socialist news analysis. Its representative told me that they were "rather to the left of the Tribune" - and the Tribune is about as far left as a journal can go without preaching Communism. (sic) easacccnes
Tle trend of opinion was that economic sanctions and boycotts would never do more than harass the present South African regime, The only solution for South Africa, it was said, was an efficiently organised armed revolution. It was asserted that a revolutionary climate existed in South Africa, but to carry out the operation successfully trenendous material and technical resources were needed. The “international community" was asked to help in this task.
Scorn was expressed not only for South African liberals but also for the South African Communist Party, which was &cused of being collaberationist - a party of reform rather than of revolution. Those who had carried out sabotage were accused of being naive. Did they really think that by protests and sabotage they could bring about a change of heart in the South African Government ? The only language the Government understood was force,
But as in all the emigre bodies that have gathered and schemed* in London throughout the centuries, much time was spent in recriminations, There were longing refer€nces to a united action front, but it appeared obvious that the rifts between South African organisations were as wide as ever,
The African Nation&l- Congress, for instance, was accused of being too closely allied with Vihite Liberals and. the South African Communist Party, The Panafricanists' view was that as they were the majority body, others should amalgamate with them and on their terms. Two speakers said consolingly that no doubt when the revolution came unity would follow,