v/as not badly affected.

M iss N

House 10

C Street {.'pea’ ing on 18 December 1984)

(She is unemployed, 29 years old, mother of two children (the elder one is 10

years old and the other is two) . Her father works at the GPO . He owns their

five-room house. The household comprises the father, mother, M iss Veleleni

and her two children, and a brother. She was standing in front of the house at

the time of the hippo patrol, and her two children were inside the house .)

I saw the hippo coming down the street, moving slow ly. I don't ''now why it

was moving so slowly . There were people in the hippo holding guns . At that

time there were no soldiers moving around on foot, there were only those ones

in the hippo . There were so many.

I ran to the house because I '-new they were shooting, as they had already

fired shots in my stree t. The hippo was not far from our house, and our house

is close to the stree t. As I entered the house I closed the door. I heard the

shots of teargas being fired, but now I was already inside the house . The gas

got inside the house . We smelt that gas . I was suffocated, and I wet a cloth

to rub off this gas . This gas also affected my small children, and I helped them

with that wet cloth toe . That wet cloth helps us to remove the g a s, but that

doesn't mean that it removes the damage it does .

I was badly affected by this teargas, and it is u se le ss to shut the door because

the moment you do that you become more suffocated by that gas . My head was

sore, and I w as dizzy . That lasted about a wee1, . I used to take Disprins

because my head got very sore .

Even my children were affected. I smeared Vaseline around their e y e s . The

one who was badly affected was the smaller one , aged two . She was coughing .

I never sent her to the doctor because I am not wording (and lack money) .

At the time my children were screaming and crying .

s

That teargas is so strong it can affect you even if it is not shot near your house .

If it is shot in Wood Street it can affect people in E Street, one bloc> aw ay .

That teargas was shot throughout the day . These people were using teargas and

rubber bullets .

I don't vnow the weapon they were using, because as they were holding guns all

these things came out from the guns, whether it's teargas or rubber b u lle ts . They

all came from the hippo .

It was my first day to see a rubber b u lle t. In my life I never saw a rubber bullet,

but on that day I saw a rubber bullet in that incident .

The smell of that gas spread right through the house . Children pic1, up these

rubber bullets and they were playing with them . We were less interested in

keeping these b u llets.

The hippo was moving up and down my stree t. W hat I saw with my eyes was

there were other people who were attacked by the police; but those police were

not coming from that same hippo . Even M iss C - 's son w as desperately

These attacks by the police were all on the same day, the day of the funeral.

The boy who was attached by the police was standing next to the gate of his

home . It is very close to us , on the same side of the street but towards Durban

Street. They were using sjamboVs. The name of that guy is Eric.

The hippo was not attached because soldiers were holding rifles. They don't

even want to see people looking at them. But these who were moving by hippo

were not entering the houses .

There was a girl who was trying to escape from them. She was crossing the

yard from another yard . She was also assaulted with sjamboks , it was later

on that same day. The policeman whom I noticed was a coloured man, I don't

'••now his name . He is staying at D Street. I Vnow his face and I would be able

to recognise him again. He was among those who attached that girl.

That thing that was done by the police was a rude thing, because they attached

people inside their properties. The people who are supposed to be beaten are

those who attac’- the police or who just swear at them . But none of the people

here were trying to taVe action against the police. Here at E Street we were not

fighting against them , but we were looking at what is going on in our area .

We learnt something . At first we shut the door against the gas . If you fear

something you do that. But then we opened it again. Gas in the house is

worse if the door is closed .

Miss O

House 8

E Street

on 18 December 1984)

(She is employed at the military base in Grahamstown by Mr W .

In

her early forties, she has four children - two are grown up and the other two

are still teenagers . All the children were staying elsewhere at the time of che

attac’ . She was alone at her one-room shac’ home.)

On the day of the funeral I saw the hippo moving down the street here . It was

in the afternoon . I was standing near the gate at the front, inside the yard .

The hippo was movinj slowly.

I saw white men on the hippo. Some of them were on top of the hippo , the

others were just inside - you can see through the open door at the back .

There were so many soldiers there .

I was not sure what they were holding because there was not time to notice .

I cannot be sure what kind of a weapon. Tnsv were holding som ething, ea^h

one had something .

W hat made us not to notice was we are afraid or them, be^u^se they were

shooting teargas . The teargas came from the hippo while it was moving . There

were no people in the street at that time . It was late in tne afternoon, tne day

of the fu n e ra l. It was about five or six o'clock .

I was not badly affected by the teargas , but I smelt it . I ran to the house after

th a t. The teargas was whiteish when it came from that weapon . It came from

the top of the hippo .

I wet a cloth , then I put it on my nose and rubbed my eyes . Then I felt better

after t h a t .

I was alone at that time . My children were not with me then .

* ,

The hippo was close to our yard when the teargas was shot but I w as not badly

affected. (Interviewer's note: I had so many problems . People are afraid to

voice what w as really done by the police because they don't want to be arrested .

There is something about this woman: she didn't want to say she w as affected

by tearg as. Li^e other people, she was nervous seeing me come to h ear it all

with a tape . Others , they trusted me and told me, but she seem ed to be afraid

right through the interview . The others who feared me at the beginning started

off by saying they had not been badly affected . Then they gave me d e tails

later e .g. they showed me the medicine bottles , told me of v isits to the clinic .)

My little room was also smelling of teargas . That smell remained about ten

minutes . I w as wetting cloths and waving them to try to le sse n the sm ell, but

it did not wor^ . I don't ^now if the air w as better outside , but I was afraid to

go o u t .

Some of the men were in camouflage but others were wearing ordinary clothes .

I am describing the people in the hippo .

I feel better . There is nothing wrong with me . I didn't see the doctor because I

v/as not badly affected .

I did not see any people assaulted by the police because I am away working

during the day. But I saw the shooting of teargas because that day there was

a sta y a w ay .

The hippo was not stoned by the people of the street.

That thing that was done by the police I too*' as a bad thing because people

are even now commenting about their sore heads and coughing . That is why I

say it was a bad thing - I was affected although I was not fighting against the

police , and I am not fighting against them even now.

* * *

E Street, Fingo Village, Grahamstown.

The house creche mother with three of the children who were gassed on 9 November 1984.

Mr P

House 6

E Street Ispea' ing on 19 December 1984)

(He is a pensioner in his late sixties . He stays in a one-room shack with his

wife . Their six children are all away from home . His wife was at wor'- at the

time of the raid .)

I saw the hippo moving down my street . I was standing inside my yard . I saw

soldiers on the hippo , some were inside the hippo and others were just on top .

Some were facing our side , the others were facing the other side . The uniform

was Li'-e the leaves of a tree . I don't know their number - I don't know, maybe

there were four or five on top of the hippo .

The door of our house faces straight on to the s t r e e t . When I went inside I could

still see the street clearly through the doorway and the window. Even when I

am sitting on the bench or chair I can see a moving vehicle in my street .

When the hippo moved down my street there were no people in the street . They

were standing inside their yards . The police in the hippo were holding guns .

They used them to fire teargas . Those guns have long barrels . They shot the

big pellets and also the teargas .

And me too, I was affected by the teargas . Even now I can show you the cloth

which I was using . When I was affected by this gas I felt tired and my eyes

were sore . I used a wet cloth and Vaseline .

The teargas w as shot in the street and it spread through our yards . It can enter

the house . My house was full of the gas smell . I am not sure of the time it

took to go aw ay, but it was a long time .

I didn't see the doctor because I was using Vaseline and the wet cloth . I took

a long time to feel better but I did manage to wake up every mornfhjj and do

some little jobs .

The teargas is greenish at first but eventually it goes whiteish in colour.

I w as alone at that time . My wife was at worV .

There are rumours that these people are not shooting teargas only. They are

also using rubber pellets , rubber bullets .

W hen the teargas is shot, it spreads all over the yard. It has a pungent sm ell.

We use water to heal ourselves from i t .

I don't ''now what our sin is , why we are shot although we are not fighting .

I

that action to mean the police don't want us . I say for myself, these

people, they don't want us . Why have they shot innocent people? I am angry

about that, and I am also complaining about that.

I repeat again, the soldiers, they don't want u s . Even the government doesn't

want us . What I have decided is , if I can get a place elsewhere I can leave this

place .

The police were patrolling even at night. They were shooting teargas even at

night. And as they moved around, people were a ssa u lte d .

From that night when I suffered from the gas , I listen to the programme on Radio

Xhosa where people write in, and then I switch off the light of my lamp in the

house so that I am in dar'-ness , because I fear the police outside . That radio

programme is from 8 pm to 8.15 pm at night.

When the teargas was shot, everybody was shouting, 'Ta’-e a wet cloth and put

it over your nose .'

163

M r s q

House

E Street (speaking on 19 December 1984)

(Aged 65, she is a pensioner, mother of four. She is alone at present in her

two-room shack , and supplements her pension money with a few casual Jobs .

She was at home with her 6-year-old grandson and other children during the raid .)

I saw the hippo moving down my street while I was sitting next to my house .

This hippo w as moving slowly . Soldiers were firing teargas . There were many

of them, some of them were on top. They were using teargas and rubber bullets .

It was in the afternoon of that funeral .

The soldiers were in the camouflage but one who was firing w as in ordinary

clo th es, a white shirt. He was a white man.

The hippo was not far away from me because it came past me down our stree t.

Other hippos were moving up our street and they were shooting teargas too.

T was affected by teargas . I went to the house and wet a cloth, and I dran'-

w a te r . After that I felt better. My eyes were full of tears . After vomiting

w as all rig h t.

I told my employee about that, but I was not bad, I did not take any other steps .

The smoke of the teargas entered our house because the door was o p en. The

Mppo which w as firing teargas was the one moving up our street and down again.

it was patrolling .

At that time there were children in my house . It w as my grandson and h is mates

T h e y a r e

b e tw e e n four and seven years old . They were playing inside the house .

the four of them .

Mv grandson w as badly affected by this teargas and he was vom iting. I used

w a t e r

to wash his tody . At least he felt better after t h a t . He is six

old .

He felt pain when he was vomiting . I Just used water for h is eyes and all over

the rest of his b o d y . Then he felt better, but that child felt sick for three day

afterwards

bed for part of that time

He was wea*

I never sent

him to the doctor or to the clinic . I had no time for that because I am wor 1 g

and I was alone at that time

My daughter from out of

came bac< after

that teargas to help here . She is the mother of my grandson . She is looU ng

after him even now .

The teargas is a sort of w hite. When it is shot, it spreads slowly but f a r .

The people in my street never too’- action against the police . Some were

standing inside their yards, others were standing lust inside their front gates .

I am sure the soldiers were many, although I don't -now how many. They were

assaulting people with sjambo’-s , because they didn t want to see anybo y

even standing in front of their houses or in their yards . People were forced to

be inside their houses .

while he was playing in the yard here . The sun was hot that day. Mzukisi was

playing with his friends , about four or five of them , when they were rushed by

the police . Some were in camouflage , some in ordinary clothes . They were

white and coloured men, about six of them and each one with a sjambok . They

came a little time after we were gassed by the hippo . I was standing next to my

door and I saw it with my own eyes .

MzuVisi was trying to jump over the fence at the side of the yard, but the barbed

wire caught his trousers, and ripped them off. Then the police caught him and

sja m b o k e d him. They pulled r.im off the wire and hit him in the yard . Mzu«;isi

was sjambokVed all over his body, he fell down on the ground, and he was

kicked .

I went to those policemen. I said, 'Asseblief Baas-', this is my small child, and

I am sure that he is innocent because he was playing inside the yard . Go and

sleep in the house , go , go .'

He was -'ic^ed on his jaws , on both sides . He was swollen . I used rubbing

stuff to relieve the pain. M zuHsi told me he felt better after I rubbed him,

but he was not all rig h t. MzuVisi said to me , 'My jaws are sore .'

The police who attached my son were moving in these small vans , people call

them SVwati. The colour of those vans is white . All these men were new to me ,

they were not fam iliar. I cannot name them .

(Interviewer's note: Mrs Q — did not say - but I got the Strong imp.ession

that she would not have dared to lay a complaint even if she had -nown their

name s .)

Firing the teargas was a bad thing. We are not playing things, net doing anything

bad . Only God will bring about peace .

* * *

Mr R

House 11 E Street (spea; ing on 19 December 1984)

(An unmarried man of about 50, employed In an electrical firm, he lives in his

father's house . It is a six-roomed home on land owned by the family. Some

of his family and neighbours were with him in the yard at the ti.ne of the patrol .)

I was standing next to the main gate of my house when I saw the hippo moving

down my street . It was in the afternoon, late . That was the day of the funeral,

on the 9th . The hippo was not in a hurry as it came .

I don't now how many soldiers were inside the hippo, but there were some on

top. Some were facing to the left, others were on the other side facing right.

Some were in camouflage , some were in ordinary clothes . They were holding

rifles . They were firing teargas and also they were using rubber bullets . The

children picked them up later on .

I was a victim of the teargas . The hippo was moving close by, down the street

in front of me . I was suffocated . My eyes started running with tears . I was

coughing. My head got sore . All this was caused by the teargas . I had never

experienced teargas before .

I went to the tap - it is in the street, on the other side from our house . The

hippo had passed u s , so I felt it was safe to go into the stree t. I w ashed my

face there . I felt better after I washed my face with w ater.

My suffering lasted about three hours , especially my sore head . I never went

to the doctor because later on I felt better.

That teargas is white . It spreads all over our area when it is fired . It can get

into a house. Even those who were in their houses were crying from that teargas

- and they had a lot to say about it - and they used w ater. That teargas can

stay in the house for at least half an hour.

Other people in my yard were affected by this gas . Small children were overcome

by it. Each was helping another. Children were saying they had sore ey es and

h e a d s. These children were aged from seven years, the e ld e st, down to four

years of age .

The hippo w as moving up and down our stree t. I never saw people a ttac’-ing the

hippo because while the hippo w as moving down our street the people ran to their

houses . W ell, I doubt very much if anybody attached it.

The police said , 'G o, go and sleep' after they fired the te a rg a s. They said that

to me and to other people . The ones on the hippo shouted it, and also the police

in the landrovers and other cars .

It was not only the hippo which was patrolling our street. Even landrovers were

patrolling. These cars were moving up and down the stre e t. If they

you In

the street you will be sj amboWed . In some other cars there were

and

blacv police (he said 'Xhosa police') . I don't Vnow them because they were in

the camouflage , we fear those people , it is strange to see a policeman wearing

camouflage .

The teargas was shot throughout the day, even at night. People were the victim

of teargas .

I felt it was a very bad action. People were assaulted although they were not

guilty. If the police rushed at a person in a yard, they entered that yard -

you can be assaulted on your own property and even in your own house . Here

at home nobody was arrested . But people including old people were affected

by the teargas - people of 30 years, and 40, and up to 50 years - that include

myself .

People used water and a wet cloth to relieve their pain .

This thing was a serious event. To see the innocent people being shot by the

police although there was no action against any authorities. Another thing:

if this teargas is shot, it enters all the houses in our part, and that was very

b a d .

It becomes worse when it is shot in the yard, because people have to leave

their houses and seek, a new shelter, go to their neighbours. This teargas is

moved by wind .

167

- ---2d

Lester M Haddad and James F Winchester,

Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug 1

Overdose,

W.B.Saunders,

Philadelphia, 1983,

pp 799 - 801

CHAPTER 82 *

TEAR GAS AND OTHER

RIOT CONTROL AGENTS

if, a soli', r .:L b r r c v 1 : r.cor

d ia rr .e te r

m e a s u r i n a 8 0 x 3 " ■_/V rr.rr.

w e i g h i n g a p p r c x i rr.e - e 1 y B O

I t i s f i r e d frorr, t h i s h=r.ccur.:

J. ALLI STER VALE, M.D., and T IMOTHY J. MEREDI TH, M B.

Riot control agents are chemicals that pro­ duce irritating or disabling effects when un contact with the eyes and when inhaled.

The most common agents used are o-chlo- robenzviidene malonorutnle (CS), dibenzox-

apme (CR). and 1-chloroacetophenone

(CN).1"22 CS and CR act more quickly and are more potent than CN. High concentrations of CN have caused comeal scarring, and a small number of deaths have occurred from its use Ln confined spaces.

1 - C h l o r o a c e t o p h e no n e ( CN) ( Tear Gas, Mac e)

a

1-Chloroacetophenone (CN), the active in­ gredient in Chemical Mace and Mace, was first synthesized dunng World War I for use

B O O T E A R g a s a n o o t h e r r i o t c o n t r o l a g e n t s

as a lam m atorv agent. CN is usually used as a 0.9 per cent solution and discharged trnm a pressurized canister Following exposure to the fine droplets of CN, severe irritation oi the eves, nose, mouth and skin occurs.

C lin ic a l f e a t u r e ? Intense pain, severe blepharospasm, profuse lacnmation. an ina­ bility to see, stinging of the no.se, excess sa­ livation, a feeling of heat and stinging m the affected skin all occur immediately after ex­ posure and continue for approximately 13 minutes The inflammatory reaction in the eve may take several davs to subside. If the CN' )ei has been projected at either high velocity or at close range, then loss oi corneal epithe­ lium and ulceration max lead to permanent damage C.\ >s a potent skin sensitizer and may induce contact dermatitis.

Treatm ent Thorough washing of the ex­ posed areas with water should be carried out. Significant ocular damage will require referral to an ophthalmologist

CS ( O - C h l o r o b e n z y l i d e n e M a l o n o n i t r i l e )

burning sensation in the eves accompanied b\ a copious flow ol tears, and involuntary closing of the eyes from spasm of the eyelids. Snee/ing, tightness of the chest, coughing, and, rarely, nausea arid vomiting may also occur. Stinging of exposed skin is particularly likelv to occur if the skin is moist.

Affected indi\ iduals should recov er com ­ pletely within 15 minutes of reaching fresh air.

T reatm en t Since recoven- is r a n d and complete, hospital treatment is rarely re­ quired. Casualties should be advised to " m o v e to fresh air, separate from fellow suf­ ferers, face into the wind with eves open, and breathe deeply" (Medical Manual of Defence against Chemical Agents. 1972).l: CS should be removed from the skin with soap and water. Erythema will resolve within 24 to 28 hours The eves should be irrigated with physiologic saline or water, and if irritation persists a local anesthetic ointment may be a p r l ie d .

D i b e n z o x a z e p i n e ( C R)

CN C H = C

CS, a white crystalline solid with a p e p p e n «mell, which melts at 94 to 95CC, was first described by Corson and Stoughton in 1928/ hence its abbreviated name. CS was intro­ duced in 1958 as the active constituent of a riot control device to replace CN (chlorace- tophenone) on the grounds that it was more effective and safer when used in the open air (British Patent 967, 660, 19t4). CS can be dis­ seminated from cartridges or grenades and, for this purpose, it is mixed with a pyrotechnic mixture that, on ignition, b u m s like a fire­ cracker. CS is expelled in the form of a vapor that condenses to form minute liquid droplets or particles. For physical reasons, CS can re­ main in this form for only a short time, and so exposure tends to be short-lived More­ over, CS very rapidly breaks down in the body (1.5 to 5 secs) to nonim tating substances so that symptoms persist only so long as expo­ sure occurs. Hence, the physical properties of CS smoke and the unpleasant nature of the symptoms it produces combine to make ex­ posure to this agent both self-limiting and short-lived.

C lin ica l Features Exposure to CS results in immediate symptoms, including a severe

nr ^

c

n

Dibenzoxazepine (CR) is a yellow crystal­ line solid with highly irritant properties. A l­ though it is only sparingly .soluble in water,

it. the presence of vehjdes*-such as polyeth­

ylene glycol, industrial methvlated spirits, or dipropylene glycol m onom ethvl ether, it is chemically stable in solution and active for a much longer time than is CS. In solution, CR is found to be irritant at concentrations as low as 0.0025 per cent.

C lin ic a l F e a tu re s Following exposure, in­ tense blepharospasm , pain and lacnmation, erythema of the skin, profuse mucoid sali­ vation from the nose, and upper abdominal discomfort occur immediately and last for up to 30 minutes. Reddening of the eves may last for several hours, but structural damage does not occur unless solutions of 5 per cent or more are used. A transient rise in blood pres­ sure also has been noted, but this is probably due to pain and agitation rather than to a specific hypertensive effect.

T r ea tm en t Thorough decontamination of the casualty’, including clothing, should be performed by w ashing. Contact with the pa­ tient ideally should be limited only to per­ sonnel wearing rubber gloves.

THE A T T IT U D E OF B L A C K N A M I B I A N S TO SOUTH AFRICAN SECURIT Y FORCEs

(From Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference report on Namibia, Aunust, 1932)

In the greater part of Namibia South Africa maintains its hold over the c o u n tr y by means of o rd in ary police and security police. In the opera­ tional area there is a c o m p le x of a rm y units, police, security police, special c o ns ta ble s and home guard s u nd s r the control of the army. M a n y are recruite d from the local populatio n.

Service in the arm y, the police o r the home guard means some kind of incom e in a situ atio n of w id e s p re a d unem ploym ent. Headmen, c o l­ laborating w ith the regime, have to be p ro tected by home guards. The w h o le c o m p le x of s ecurity forces in the operational area is designated by the O v a m b o w o r d 'o m a k a k u n y a '. W e found it hard to determine the literal meaning of the w o r d but its im plic ations are by no means fla tte ring — 'b lo o d s u c k e rs ', 'b o n e -p ic k e rs ' and so on. Not all units m ay be g u ilty of atro cities b u t the local populatio n is inclined to lump all s e c u rity forces to g e th e r u nder one c o m m o n label.

S trin g e n t s e c u rity m easures are provid ed for in t w o proclamations: AG 9 and AG 26. AG 26 a llo w s the A d m in is tra to r General to detain any Nam ibian likely to be a threat lo law and order. AG 9 a llo w s fo r the repeate d d etentio n of persons on 30 day ord ers w i t h o u t recourse to legal counsel.

T ha t d etentio n and interro ga tion in any part of the c o u n try are a c c o m ­ panied by beating, torture, spare diet and so lita ry c o n fin e m e n t is accepted as c o m m o n kn o w le d g e . W e fo un d this a ttitu d e among m o s t Church re p re s en ta tiv es w e m e t and among m an y others as w e l l . ( ’ )

R eports of w h a t occurs in the operational area indicate th at it is c o m ­ m o n ly accep ted th at in searching o u t S W A P O guerillas the S e curity Forces s to p at noth ing to force in fo rm a tio n o u t of people. They break in to homes, beat up residents, sh oo t people, steal and kill cattle and o ften pillage stores and tea rooms. W h e n the tra c k s of S W A P O * guerillas are d is covered by the se c urity fo rces the local people are in danger. Harsh m easures are intensifie d. People are b lindfolded, taken fro m th e ir hom es and left beaten up and even dead by the roadside. W o m e n are o ften raped. It is not u n k n o w n fo r a d e ta c h m e n t to break in to a hom e and w h ile Black soldiers keep w a t c h o v er the family, W h it e soldiers sele ct the b e s t-lo o k in g girls and take th em into the veld to rape them. There is no redress because reporting irregula rities or a tro cities to c o m m a n d e rs is co nside red a dangerous or fruitle ss e x er­ cise.

The a uth o ritie s w e m et in W in d h o e k , w h ile insisting on the g ra v ity and fre q u e n c y of a tro cities a ttrib u te d to S W A P O , a d m it te d th a t m em be rs of the S e curity Forces w e re also g u ilty of them. They maintained, h o w e v e r, th a t reports of a tro cities c o m m it t e d b y S e c u rity Force per­ sonn el w ere th o ro u g h ly in v e s tiga te d and that the perpe trato rs, if fo u n d g u ilty , w e re duly punished. These a uth orities also to ld us th at the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran O v a m b o -K a v a n g o Church had been ch a l­ lenged to p ro du c e evid ence th a t any person laying a c o m p la in t against S e c u rity Force personnel had been victim ized. A s far as o u r k n o w le d g e goes, m o s t people are afraid of victim iza tion . One can readily under- 1 s ta n d h o w u n w illin g th ey are to com p la in to repre sen ta tives of an I o rg an is atio n w h ic h they see as a huge in s titu tio n dedicate d to the use j

of force, im p osin g upon them a s y s te m th ey d ete st and of w h ic h they are c o m p le te ly d is tru s tfu l.

In the circum stances, intim id a tio n of the civilian p op ulatio n is to be expected. There could hardly be any othe r w a y of e x tra c ting in form a tion from a populatio n c o m p le te ly infiltra te d by S W A P O and both s y m ­ path etic to it and afraid of reprisals. In such a populatio n, squeezed b etw een t w o contending forces, it is inevitable th at the w h o le social atm osphere is shot th rough w it h suspicion. It is hard to t r u s t anyone. The safest attitude is to k n o w nothing and to say nothing — except under duress.

Concernin g reprisals, it w a s put to us th a t it is not the policy of S W A P O to intim idate because it is a guerilla a rm y dependent on t e g o o d w ill of the people. But if S W A P O learns th at som eone is c o lla b o ­ rating w ith the security forces it issues a w a rn in g . If the collaboration is seen to co ntinue it strikes. It has been k n o w n to p re v e n t the burial of its v ic tim s to make sure th a t the n eigh bo u rh oo d gets the message.

On the o ther hand w e w e re told th at the se c urity forces parade the bodies of killed S W A P O guerillas by driving a round w ith the bodies dangling from army vehicles.

W e were to ld that school in s p e c to rs w o u l d not travel by official t r a n s ­ port nor accept an army e scort. The image of a ny th ing official or c o n ­ nected w ith the army is either too hateful or to o dangerous.

A d u s k - to - d a w n c u rfe w is im p o s e d in the operational area. A n y b o d y m oving about after dark is shot. A person c a n n o t even go to the help of a sick neighbour or w o m a n in c hildbirth. A p riest risks his life going

on a sick call. _/

W e w ere given the personal experiences of some people w h o had been brutalised. They told us w h a t they had undergone.

One reporte d that he had been ke p t in dete ntio n fo r three m onths, a fo rtn ig h t of w h ic h w as spent in solitary c o n fin e m e n t w i t h bread and w a t e r as his diet.

A n o t h e r reporte d that he had been blin dfo lde d w i t h a bag and taken to a place w here he w a s su spe nd ed by the neck w it h ju s t his toes touching the ground. A f t e r being beaten up and s u bjec ted to electric

s h o c k t r e a t m e n t h e w a s t a k e n w i l l , s o m e o t h e r s , “ n dam The qirls w ere ind ece ntly handled by the se curity me . w e r e t h r o w n m l o t h e d a n , s.,11 w i t h t h e b a g s o v e r t h e , r h e a d s . T h e n arra to r managed to s w im to safety and help the o the rs .

A t h i r d d e s c r i b e d h o w a , o n e o ^ o c k i n the m o r n i n g ^ e ^ o l i c e m e n

X i.. -

vz

r

- r

- = £

and left him. A friend to o k him to hospital.

A fo u rth said th a t he w a s w o r k in g in his fields w h e n the Po l* « ^

his Release he w a s re-arreste d for interro ga tion a f e w more times.

a >">h — t z r , : T , : : s S r r S E S 3

r l t Pcaused him deep distre ss. Finally he w a s reduced to c o m ­ plete apathy, losing all fear and anxiety.

A w o m a n told h o w during d ete n tio n she w a s c o n s , a n t i , beaten up and given e le c t,ic s h o c k s w h ile cha.ned, w a t e r D uring s h o c k t r e a tm e n t she w a s gagged, a . back ber b e 7 p ,= r e ^ r r . r e e; . r ; . " a ° u s : d hda r,o rrb a g e s and a l.ecte d her k id n e y s She had to be h os p italis ed and u n d e r w e n t an o peration. A l t e r t h e o pe ration she w a s p u t back into gaol. The goal w a s an non shack _ h o t and dirty. The w o u n d from the o pe ration festered.

AS the e v e n ts d escrib ed * o » are

people m the operations SW A P O guerillas b u t the cjouth A f^ c a ^ S e c 'tn -!ty F orc e s . These forces are lo oked upon

t h ro u g h o u t Nam ibia as "an arm y of o c c up atio n .

Over and above w h a t this a rm y of o c cupation does in Namibia there are the sto ries of its freq ue n t incu rsio ns into Angola in pursuit of S W A P O guerillas or w it h the o b je c t of d es troying their bases and stores and of the damage and suffering caused to the Angolan p opula­ tion. The in tensifie d assault of A u g u s t 1985 and s ubsequent operations seem to have had, as one of their o bjective s, the creation of a S W A P O - cleared zone in south ern A n go la in w h ic h U nita c ould establish itself as a p ro te c tiv e screen. Deals b etw e e n Ur.ita and South Africa appear to have in v o lv e d the removal from A n gola of m illions of rands w o rth of valu able t im b e r k n o w n as dolf or k ia a t.( )

172

Southern African Catholic Bishoos Conference statement on the South African Government's attitude to conscrintion of Namibians.

Attitude to Conscription

Procla m ation AG 149 of the A d m in i s t r a t o r General, p ublished on 17 O c to b e r 1980, co n ta in s a p ro c la m a tio n of the S tate Presid ent

of S o uth A fric a exte nding co nscrip tio n to Namibia w ith o u t d is ­ t in c tio n of race. W e e ncountered in W indhoek a group of people, m ainly so-called Coloured, bitterly opposing this. It horrified th em to th ink th a t their yo un g men w o u ld be forced to carry out the same task as the South A frica n security forces and participate in w h a t w o u l d n o w beco m e a civil w a r against the very people th ey believed w ere fig htin g an anti-colonial w a r of liberation. It is hard to imagine h o w the auth orities hope to put the proclamation into e ffe c t in a general w a y . M ass conscrip tion does not ye t seem to be taking place th ough a sign ifican t number of young men is being fo rc ib ly ind uc ted into the a rm y and 're-education' is meted o u t to th ose recognised as p ro -S W A P O . In other cases the g ov e rn ­ m e n t seems to have accepted the rig ht of people to refuse milita ry service.

Statement by the 5A Catholic bishops Conference explaining its all for an end to conscription (June 1985)

Our concern as Bishops in Southern Africa is for a speeoy and just solution to the problems experienced by the people of RSA ano Namibia, a solution in which all sectors of the population are called to play their part.

The Situation

In our report on Namibia, issued in 1982, we drew your attention to the fact that the majority of Namibians regard the SADF as an army of occupation which is hindering the granting of inaependence to that country in terms of Resolution 435 on the UN Security Council.

During the unrest in the Vaal ano East Rand townships in late 1984 the army was deployed in a suppdrt to the SAP operating in those areas. This action was greeted with shock and horror by tne inhabitants of those townships ano by other South Africans concerneo about how ans where the army is oeployed.

This use df the army to enforce 'law and oroer' within the country has been further extended in 1985 to include the townships in the Eastern Cape, despite all the protests that the legitimate use of an army is in the defence of the country against its enemies.

Many young men who are conscripted each year into the SADF are expereincing crises of conscience as they become aware of the role that they are being expected to play in the black townsnips, and elswhere in RSA. As far baok as 1977 in our statement "On Conscientious Objection" which we issued in our concern for the nature of the armed struggle and the escalating vidlence in Southern Africa, we oefenoeo the right of every indiviual to follow his own conscience; the right therefor to conscientious objection both on the grounds of universal pacifism and on the grounds that a persdn may seriously believe the war to be unjust.

We beleive that a srious decision of this nature is a moral juogement and must be made after deep and prayerful examination of the facts available. In 1977 we urged the RSA government to make provision for alternative forms of

r> i T • ^ 2 r*\ > n c 4" i ^ n o l c o *rv i r*c ^ c i c

found in other parts of the world. Sixty-six countries do not have conscription. In 1963, in a letter to the 'Ninister of Defence about the proposeo Defence Amenoment Act, Cardinal McCam, on our behalf, ponteO out to the minister that the proposeo amenoments, making it possible for Cnristian pacifists to refuse military training, did not go far enough. Provision should be made for so-calleo moral or ethical objectors. At that time we stated that is such an amenoment was not incluaea in the Defence Amendment Act we wculd find it necessary to reject the Act as unjust. Our suggested amendment was not incluaea ■in the Defence Amendment Act. The situation in Southern AFrica has continued to aeteriorate and in 1985 we find durselves in a situation of grave crisis.

We are concerned at the growing numbers of young men faced with a crisi of

conscience caused by their

conscription. The choices for them:

Serving in an army with whose moae of operation they cannot agree,

aoing 6 years alternate service if they are recognised as religious pacifists.

Serving a 6 year jail sentence if they object to the war on the grounas that they believe it to be unjust.

Leaving the country and living in exile.

They are faced with these choices because of the system of the compulsory conscription in RSA which aoes not prevail in most other countries around the world.

We recognise that an end to conscription would leave members of the SADF open to those who are in sympathy with it and would grant indiviuals freedom of conscience in determinig their response to the situation. Therefore we join our voices with those who have already asked for an end to conscription. We call on the Government to amend the Defence Act to make this possible. we also encourage Catholics to help promote peace by working for an end to conscription in whatever ways lie open to them.

APPENDIX 30 Court Martial statement by Richard Steele on why he decided to become a conscientious objector

I have been considering this matter of conscientious objection for a long time, and have not taKen this aecision lightly. I am fully aware of tne legal conseguences of my action, but my conscience still urges me to take this

stand.

I am a Cnristian and a member of the Baptist Denomination. As a Christian I strive to live a life which is pleasing to Jesus Christ, my Lord ana Saviou. To this end, I study the Scriptures and pray and share with otner Christians so that I may grow in my knowledge and understanding of the Christian way of living and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Christ is at the centre of my life, ana so he acts as a reference point for all that I do, think or say. Naturally then, I have been consioering this matter of military service in the light of my Christian experience.

After much prayer, reading and discussion, I have come to the conclusion that, for me at any rate, military service is incompatible with my Christian convictions.

Christian love promotes healing and life; it transforms brokenness into wholeness. This love is not passive;

'our love is not to be just woras or mere talk, but something real and

active.' (I Jn 3:18). This is the kind of caring love which Jesus illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk.10:25-37). Active love is what is reguired of us when we respond to Christ's call to be 'peacemakers' (Mt.5:9). Love is the lubricatibn in the peacemaking process. a peacemaker is not a detachea observer of violence and hostility, but plunges right in actively seeks to bring about peace and reconciliation in that situation.

I want to be a peacemaker here in South Africa. I want to be used by God in the process of reconciliation between the people of our land so that we may live together in true peace - a peace unaergiroed by justice and righteousness (of Isaiah 33:15-20; Jeremiah 22:1-17; 16:5). I want to follow Christ by loving as he has loved me.

As I see it, the South African Defence Force is caught up in the spiral of violence, as is any country's oefence force. I oo not wish to join the Defence Force because I oo not wish to participate in that violence.

I feel that it would be more aestructive to me as a person (and also to others because of my actions as a soldier) if I were to compromise on these principles and go into the army (no matter in what capacity) than to be true to myself and my God and go into detention barracks. I genuinely feel that God has lea me to an_understanding and acceptance of these principles and so will strengthen me and enable me to cope with the conseguences of firm belief in them. I have not taken this aecision to be a conscientious objector in isolation, but have openly shareb my pilgrimage in this area with the Christian community I am part of. Ana I know that many of them support me with their love ana in their prayers. I have aiscussea this matter thoroughly with my parents ana they clearly unaerstand my convictions because we share the same commitment to Christ as Lora. They have assurea me of their love ana support as I move into this new phase of my life. I believe that I have been obebient to Gob in this matter, ana I trust his leaaing in whateve lies aheaa.

The peacemaker Poes not try to patch up the aifferences merely to maintain the status puo, but aoaresses himself ta tne rbot cause of the hostilities ana strives to eliminate tnem so that true peace comes into being.

APPENDIX 31 175

STATEnCni b v^ t t i e n e e s s o r y

The crystaiisation of my opposition to war and violence came about in 1977 when serving in Onaanwa, Namibia. For the first time I saw the lack of respect and dignity accoraeo to human life. How was i involved? I was simply 'maintenance personnel' . fill I dia was run an ammunution oepot - supplying ammunition to anyone ana everyone without reserve. My position lea me to believe that I was not involved, after all I wasn't actually pulling the trigger - it takes very simple things to jolt one from complacency; like seeing a little girl staring at one through barbea wire, a little girl in a pink dress whose life haa effectively been shattereo because 'she neeaed to be protected'. i began to realize I was part of this 'protection' - I was a reponsible as the men who pulled the triggers.

fit the end of 1980 I started a career in theatre. In theatre I began to learn the meaning of creation. Theatre functions on the organic being; the same being I helped to kill in Ondangwa. I was placed in the position of having to create for 11 months of the year and sedate my conscience for the remaining one. That is something we South Africans have honed to a fine art - sedating our consciences.

I don't believe that violence is necessary to support a system, if the system is valid, it will support itself by it's virtues., The violence I oppose, is not only that which is being used on our borders ana in Namibia,- but the violence which is 'built in' to our social system: division, the opposite of union which is surely a moral objective, is violently upheld - the barbed wire is not limited to Namibia, this barbed wire keeps one person in Durban North and one person in Cnatsworth, or one person in Johannesburg ana one in Soweto. This institutionalisea violence has set brother against brother ana aeportea whole families to 'pie in the sky' reserves. (The dehumanising process it too involved to mention in such a limited statement).

Not for a moment must a man in the street be allowed to think. Make him afraia with talk of 'a Communist behind every tree, Swart Gevaar, the total onslaught,' and similar rubbish. This absurd situation could not exist in anything but a restricted violent society. This uneaual society is violent as it is a system in imbalance, using 'unjustifiable force' to perpetuate it. Why aia I ao two further training camps if I felt the way I aid?

The answer is auite simple, I am ashamed to say, I dia not have the guts to refuse.

I have saia that we seaate our consciences; we make statements such as 'we have inherited the situation', or 'what can I ao'. We say we are aefenaing Christian principles. Looking at the suffering and pain in this country these principles seem to be very much those of the anti-Christ.

Every month young men are leaving their country of birth because of their opposition to the araft, in desparation I too booked a ticket to England intending to go into exile. I cancelled the ticket - I couldn't trade my physical freedom for my spiritual freedom - I am a South African. I will not support any war ana I will certainly not support this war.

I believe one aefines oneself by one's actions. I am prepared to take responsibility for my actions. I belong to no political organization. I believe sincerely that what I have done is in the best interests of South Africa.

I am prepared to renaer any sort of non-violent national service not connected to the SADF.

I would like it to be noted that I have not, although I haa the opportunity to, evaaed my responsibility, but have presented myself.

\ DECLARATION OF CONVICTIONS IN RESPONSE TU KILIThRY CONSCRIPTION.'

- ADRIAN PATERSON

Christ has called me to follow him. My oesire to understand the way of Christ and to serve him constrains me to De a pacifist in accoraance with the ethic found in his teaching, his life, the nature of his aeath and his vindication in his resurrection and ascension. He will come again to institute for all people the kingdom of peace to which pacifist Christians bear witness now. God has made me his son. While I was God's enemy and without hope he rescuea me by dying in my place. In this life, therefore, 1 must seek to become like Christ. I must put off the old person and put on the new. The Spirit makes this possible by revealing through Scripture who Christ is ■ and how he intends me to live. Scripture convinces me that Christ is the Prince of Peace and that he intends me to renounce violence and war and td take hold of love, peace, and forgiveness. To oo otherwise, for me, is to misunoerstand the Gdspel, pre-eminently to reject the meaning of Christ's death and therefdre to have no part in his resurrection. It would ccnstitute a renunciation of my faith.

It is for this reason that I cannot participate in any structe designed for the prosecution of war, the preparation for war or directed towards the manufacture of the brutal instruments of war. Therefore, as God's servant, I have after careful consioeration, much prayer and consultation with fellow Christians refuseo to enter the South African Defence Force.

I have not taken this step in a religious vacuum, nor have I taken it because I am disinclineo to serve the people of this country. To truly serve I must work for justice, freedom and reconciliation. I believe that the racism of apartheid ana the economic and eaucational differentiation that have acconpanied it are a travesty of the teaching of the Bible. While I am not a pacifist because of apartheid, neither am I a pacifist in spite of apartheid. I am a pacifist because of Christ and I reject apartheid because of the Gospel. The military structure is not free from complicity in enforcing the seperation of people in this land. It also consumes important resources that could assist in making a more equitable distribution of wealth. I wish to affirm the dignity of the oppressor and the oppressed and desire to serve both in the search for freeoom and equality. I am prepared to oo a form of non-military national service that ddes not conflict with the aspirations expressed here. It should be for a period that is not more than twice the initial period of military service. It should accommoaate all sincere objectors religious or secular.

I remain profoundly aware of the potential I have for evil and the sin which drove me first to Christ. I am taking this stand in the knowledge that he enables and strengthens me. It is in this knowleoge that I commit myself to the work of peace, the reconciling of people to God, one person to another person, and nation in his strength. .

God oless Africa, Guard her people, Guide her rulers, And give her peace, For Christ's sake, Amen.

WHY AM I A UNIVERSAL PACIFIST DEHUMANISATION OF THE ENEMY CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECiQR

A STATEMENT OF BELIEFS

BY NEIL MITCHELL

I am a Christian, a baptised and confirmed member of the Roman Cathdlic Church. I take my faith seriously, and after much careful thought, prayer and study over several years, I came to a

Decision to refuse to undergd military service. I thus declare myself a universal pacifist conscientious objector to military service.

I believe that my decisidn is in accnrdance with the spirit of tne life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Following Christ, which I am to do, involves being a 'peacemaker' - 'Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be called sons of God' (Mat. 5:9). Participating in war, training for war

or performing violent acts is, I believe, antithetical to the call to be a peacemaker.

HOW ALL OF THIS AFFECTS MY RESPONSE TO MY CALL-UP INSTRUCTIONS.

1. Obedience tc my call-up instructicns is incompatible with the nature of my relationship with God - violence is sinful. To obey my call-up instructions and oo to the army would, for me, constitute a betrayal of my covenant relationship with God which I nave entered through my baptism. I feel a respdnsioility td nnndur this relatidnship since it was bdught with the price cf Christ's shed blddd. I cannct go against it in gooO conscience! By the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, this relationship changes me into a new being, called td be perfect: "You must be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mat.5:48). I must fellow Christ's example and avdid sin.

Furthermdre, army training wduld cdnditidn me intd dehumanising the enemy intd a thing to be hated. I cduld ndt in good conscience go along with such a process, since it denies the enemy's humanity and his bearing df the image and likeness df Gdd. I am ccmmanded by Christ td ldve all pedple, including enemies.

THE "SERVICE OF LIFE"

I wish, in the words df Pdpe Jdhn Paul II td, give myself td the 'service df life', ndt to the 'work df death'. I wish, in my life to promote peace and justice, which the world in general, and Sduth Africa in particular, surely need. I cannct see that participating in army training would aid me in my endeavour to be a peacemaker.

NON-MILITARY NATIONAL SERVICE

I believe that I have a duty and a responsibility to contribute to the well-being ano prosperity df my ccuntry. I am thus willing td do a non-military form of National Service. For this reason, too, I chose not to leave South Africa in oroer td avoid having td gd td the army. I am fully a dualified high schddl teacher; I cduld use these gualifications and skills in an alternative, non-military form of national service.

CONCLUSION

I am aware that I am contravening a secticn df the Defence Act cf Sduth Africa, ano I am aware of the legal conseouences of such a contravention. Nevertheless, I believe that I nave informed my conscience in this matter, and my conscience urges me to take this stand. To go against my conscience is sin. "Obedience to God comes before dbedience tc men" (Acts 5:29).

FROM THE DETENTION BARRACKS - Letter from Neil Mitchell

"Dear All, Thank you very much for all the letters - it is tremendous receiving them. I feel somehow 'buoyeO up' all the time - I attribute this to all the prayers being said for me; everyone who writes says they are praying, and the prayers obviously being answered... I got a letter from somebody in Durban telling me I could be proud that I was standing in the tradition of Moll, Steele, Yeats ana Viveiros, and I feel I must continue the struggle to get recognition for CO' s which they bravely initiatea....

One thing that has Dothered me is that at my court martial, and in my statement, I did not give enough attention to the 'just war/political' aspect of my CO stand - not that I believe there can be a just war. But I'm sure you know what I mean: what I ao mean is that peace does not mean simply the absence of conflict - that would be just a semblance of peace. For true peace to exist, just conaitions have first to exist. So a necessary part of 'peacemaking' is the pursuit of this justice. The South African political set-up is so funaamentally unjust ana oppressive, ana the SADF so clearly exists to uphoia and keep intact this unjgt; set-up. To serve in the SADF i I --would mean assenting to the very injustice which, as a 'peacemaker', one

should be endeavouring to eradicate.... Johan came with communion this morning... Pax Christi Vobiscum, Neil"

APPENDIX 35 179

DISSENSIQr. IN T h t kANKS :

AN ARGU^NT FOR CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION PETER HATHuRN

STATEMENT SUMMARY INTRODUCTION

The law demands that every white South African male does military service. I have come to the conclusion that I have little alternative but to break the law. Three factors are funoamental to this

decision - the fact that South Africa is engaged in a civil not an external war, the history of non-violent resistance to oppression, and the aggressive nature of the SADF1s activities.

1. THE NATURE OF THE CONFLICT i. External or Civil War

The state would have us believe that South Africa is involved in defensive war against an external aggressor. There is great play on the ioea that we are defending our borders against the 'total onslaught' being waged by 'terrorists' armed with Russion weapons. However, little attempt is made to define who 'the enemy' is. Gerald Shaw, writing in the Cape Times, shows a little more insight into the origins of the 'total onslaught'.

"The enemy is not some faceless communist horde on behing the Iron Curtain. The enemy are our own people, fellow South Africans, a guerilla aimy of young people who fled from South Africa after the Soweto unrest of 1976 in their thousands and were recruited into the aimy of the African National Congress".

One need only turn to court statements of ANC guerillas captured over the past few years to confirm Shaw's statement.

It is ironical to find tne state-

appointed Rabie Commission of Inpuiry into Security Legislation providing final confirmation of the fact that South Africa is involved in a civil war. "After the riots (sic) in Soweto and elsewhere in the Republic in 1976 ana 1977 many Black people - mostly young people - left the country. The SAP (South African Police) Delieve that the number who haa left the country up to the end of 1979 might be as high as

5000 or perhaps even 6000. Abbut half - probably about 2000 men - of these people were recruitea by the ANC."

If one accepts that'the enemy' are fellow South Africans who have left the country because they have been oppressed, than one cannot avoid the conclusion that participation in the SADF is a direct contribution to the cause of the oppressor.

l i . 5 UT-rURT F U r\ L j U E k I L - m S

It is Cifficult to measure the black population's support for guerilla forces, but evidence indicates it is consiaerable.

Thousands of people have attenaed the funerals of guerillas and activists - an estimated 20 000 turned out to bury Solomon Mahlangu.

The Rabie Commission Report Quotes an opinion poll conductec in Soweto shortly after the Silverton battle sieae which showed that three out of four black people had strong or aualifiea sympathies for the gunmen.

2. THE ROOTS OF THE CONFLICT

The current conflict cannot be viewed outside the context of the history of resistance by black South Africans to the systems imposed on them.

The history of black opposition in this century can be divided into three periods. Until the 1950's, black political organisations restricted themselves to attempting to persuaoe the government to extend the franchise to blacks, by means of petitions and deputations.

The 1950's was a time of mass activity. It saw the Defianc Campaign, mass strikes, bus boycotts, education boycotts, and the historic Congress of the People at which the Freedom Charter was drawn up, pointing the way to a non-racial future for South Africa. The decade of mass action came to a head with the pass campaigns of March 1960. What happened at Sharpeville and Langa

is now history. The police killed 69 people and wdunded 178. Of those killed

dr wounded, 155 were shot in the back. Sharpeville and the subsequent banning df the leading black pdlitical crganisations brought to an end the ccmmitment to non-violence and saw the transitidn to the third stage of resistance.

Nelson Manoela, when on trial in 1963, justified the decision to turn to violence on the grounds that because df government action, violence from blacks had become inevitable, and responsible leadership was needed to channel ana control that violence.

Secondly, without violence there would be no way the black people could succeed in their struggle against white supremacy. Fifty years on non-violence had brought the black people nothing but more ano more repressive legislation ana fewer and fewer political rights.

Manoela's statement illustrates the point that the aecision to turn violence was a reasoned one, was maoe reluctantly and came only after a long period of non-violent struggle.

The violence of the ANC has used since 1960 has been directed towards symbols of oppression or installations of strategic and eccnomic significance.

S n ijr j.i'NvuL.vc.frfc.Ni i i \ L IvjIlImim Hl. 7j.uN5

No-one who goes into the SADF can escape the fact that they are putting themselves in a situation where they can be commanoed to act against South African civilians.

The military has been used dn a number of occasions to assist the police in

'resettling' people at gunpoint.

During the Durban strikes of February 1973 citizen force troops in the Umgeni and Highway Commands were put on continual stand-by. At one stage, when it was thought the police were unable to deal with the strikers, troops from the Umgeni Commando were issued with live ammunition and loaded into Bedford trucks. Only news of the workers' dispersal prevented the commandos being used.

In the 1976/77 student uprising troops were used to protect key installations and placed on stand-by fdr deplyment in the townships.

During the schools boycotts in June 1981 troops were used in 'coloured' townships (Bosmont and Eldoraoo Park) along with the SAP to carry house-to-house searches. To go into the SADF is to take sides in the struggle in our country - for one is putting oneself in a situation where one could be commanded to forcibly "resettle" people, where one could be issued with live ammunition and instructed to disperse striking workers, or go into townships to 'put-down' a stuaent uprising.

One cannot go into the army ano take on the role of soldier and oppressor, and then protest about the system of white ddmination ana oppression in this country.

Collection Number: AG1977

END CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN (ECC)

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