S. African Churches to Step Up Protests

Angered by the South African government’s new crackdown on the anti-apartheid movement, black church leaders Thursday called on “the oppressed to intensify the struggle for justice and peace.” They pledged to step up their own protests as well.

Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu, urging churches to assume the interim leadership of the anti-apartheid movement, pledged to continue the political activities that the United Democratic Front, the Congress of South African Trade Unions and 16 other groups have been prohibited from taking part in under a state of emergency.

“We urge the oppressed to intensify the struggle for justice and peace in accordance with the gospel,” Tutu said, reading a declaration by 12 leading black churchmen. “For our part, we commit ourselves to exploring every possible avenue for continuing the activities that have been banned insofar as we believe they are mandated by the gospel.”

The statement, signed by leaders of the Anglican, Catholic, Methodist and Lutheran churches, along with leaders of several independent churches and the South African Council of Churches, described the new measures as “a desperate attempt by weak people to hold on to power in the face of an ever-increasing determination by the oppressed of our country to bring justice, democracy and peace.”

“The government’s drastic and brutal action removes nearly all effective means open to our people of working for true change by peaceful means,” the church leaders said, “and if there is violent reaction, this government must take the responsibility.”

Tutu, the Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, added, “We have nothing to show for our nonviolent approaches. If violence erupts, what will be surprising is that it has taken so long.”

Largest Trade Federation

On Wednesday, the government outlawed political activity by the United Democratic Front, a coalition of 750 anti-apartheid groups with 3 million members, and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the country’s largest labor federation.

Sixteen other anti-apartheid and human rights groups, youth and local civic organizations were also ordered to suspend political activity for the duration of the state of emergency, now in its 21st month.

At least 18 leading anti-apartheid activists were barred from taking part in the political process and placed under effective house arrest. Many other activists went into hiding to avoid similar orders.

President Pieter W. Botha, speaking at a political rally in rural Standerton, southeast of Johannesburg, defended the action as necessary to combat efforts by the outlawed African National Congress and South African Communist Party to undermine the government’s authority.

“While the government is fighting to keep this wolf (a Communist takeover) from the door,” Botha declared, “there are others struggling to bring this government down. . . . The left keeps repeating the whispers of Moscow that we are diminishing the freedoms of the people of South Africa, but we have to be realistic. We need a South Africa for all reasonable people.”

The African National Congress, which began a low-level armed struggle of sabotage and guerrilla attacks after it was outlawed in 1960, called from its exile headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia, for “resistance and defiance” against the new government orders.

“It is not advocacy of or engagement in armed struggle that the regime fears, but the very expression of democratic opposition,” the ANC said.

Thabo Mbeki, the ANC’s information director, said in London that Botha appeared to be outlawing the whole anti-apartheid movement. “It is obvious what Botha is saying now is that it is illegal to conduct nonviolent political struggle,” Mbeki said. “So, if it is, the only alternative left is to take up arms. . . . The ANC, as a consequence, must escalate its armed struggle.”