Millions of S. African Blacks Strike in Protest

Millions of blacks stayed away from jobs and schools today, crippling factories, mines and stores in the largest anti-apartheid protest in South African history.

The nationwide strike, demanding in part that May Day be declared a national holiday, signaled a powerful new organizational strength among black workers, students and civic groups in the campaign for equal rights.

An academic monitoring group said at least 1.5 million workers, and possibly many more, struck for the day in the nation’s four largest cities alone. A government spokesman also estimated at least 1 million urban black students boycotted classes for the day.

Beyond those 2.5 million strikers, there was no way to calculate how many others stayed away from school and work for the day in rural areas and the nation’s 10 tribal homelands, scenes of turmoil in recent months.

The national Associated Chambers of Commerce reported “massive absence from work” across the country, ranging from 70% to 100%. The black work force is estimated at more than 6 million in a population of 24 million.

Both Vincent Brett, manpower director for the chamber, and Eddie Webster, head of the academic monitor group, agreed the strike was the largest ever in South Africa.

In Port Elizabeth in eastern Cape province, researcher Glen Adler said a survey of 86 companies showed that just 6 of 11,000 black employees turned up.

Thousands of mixed-race people joined the strike and many Asians closed their shops in sympathy. Supermarkets tried to cope with white staff, but checkout counters were jammed.

Transport to and from townships halted as bus, train and taxi drivers joined the strike. Most companies adopted a policy of “no work, no pay, no penalty.”

“It must be a signal to the government that these communities can weld together and do something,” said Jimmy McKenzie, senior general manager of Barclays Bank.

Police headquarters in Pretoria reported clashes with rioters in 19 black townships, leaving two dead, and said some blacks intimidated others into joining the protest.

At a rally attended by about 30,000 in a stadium in Soweto, jailed black dissident Nelson Mandela’s wife, Winnie, declared: “The power you have has enabled you to declare this day a people’s holiday.”

“I want to call upon you to close up ranks and prepare for the final onslaught, the day when you are called upon to fire back and defend yourself,” she said.

Elijah Barayi, president of the 650,000-member Congress of South African Trade Unions which organized the strike, told the rally, “Whether the government likes it or not, we are going to make May 1 a paid holiday. But we know that we are going to do that through our blood.”