Berkeley anti-apartheid activist speaks: «We don't look to liberal politicians for support'

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Nomonde Ngubo, United Mineworkers of America representative and a national staff member of the Shell Boycott Committee, speaks to trade unionists Aug. 21 in San Francisco. "Royal Dutch Shell,"

Ngubo stated, "is the biggest supplier of oil to the apartheid regime in South Africa and should be boycotted." Ngubo is a founder of the National Union of Mineworkers in South Africa.

•••'Boycott S. Africa, not Nicaragua' Send Socialist Action to a friend!

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SOCIALIST ACTION SEPTEMBER 1986 13 The anti-apartheid movement won a significant victory this summer. After nearly two years of student-led rallies and sit-ins, the University of California Board of Regents voted in July to divest the $3.1 billion it now has invested in corporations doing business with South Africa.

Socialist Action interviewed John Hurley, a spokesperson for the Campaign Against Apartheid (CAA), about the significance of the vote and his views on the anti-apartheid student movementpast, present, and future. CAA is one of the leading anti-apartheid groups at U.C. Berkeley. The interview was conducted by Socialist Action: Do you think the student movement pushed the U.C. regents to divest?

John Hurley: Because of what we've been doing on campus, we've made apartheid a big issue. One thing Governor Deukmejian doesn't want is an insurrection on campus during his election year.

The regents aren't doing it because they've suddenly become good people or suddenly become moral or something. They're doing it because they're afraid of what's going to happen and how it's going to make the governor look. A big student movement scares the university.

S.A.: How is divestment going to affect the anti-apartheid movement at Berkeley?

J.H.: It's going to take away a good organizing issue-but there are tons of organizing issues. We'll be moving on to other things—possibly other aspects of university complicity with apartheid, such as who the regents are. A lot of the regents are on the board of directors of IBM, Shell (continued from page 1: “U.S. hedges on S. Africa, backs Nicaragua 'takeover'”)

incumbent politicians are taking steps to move away from the Reagan administra -tion's discredited "constructive engagement" policies.

But the differences between Reagan and the congressional advocates of sanctions— Republicans and Democrats alike-are purely tactical. The capitalist politicians are searching desperately for some means to increase their ability to intervene in South Africa in order to defuse a potentially revolutionary situation there.

The United States wants to pressure the South African regime into toning down its repressive policies and looking toward a SUBSCRIBERS Oil, and other apartheid-linked corporations. However, it's impossible to say exactly what we'll be doing in the fall.

S.A.: What role have liberal politicians played over the last couple of years?

J.H.: The local, allegedly progressive political machine that runs the city of Berkeley hasn't supported us at all. City policy of "power-sharing" with Blacks. Many members of Congress also believe that a stance in favor of sanctions will make it easier to forge links with "moderate" elements in South Africa. Ultimately, they hope to sidetrack the Black movement into accepting relatively safe channels of reform.

At the same time, the United States intends to draw the line at instituting an economic embargo that might seriously disrupt the South African economy-which is already in the midst of its worst depression since the 1930s.

The world's capitalists must preserve a relatively strong "pro-Western" government in Southern Africa to protect their economic holdings there. They also realize that a deepening economic crisis in South Africa could ripple on to the shores of their Name. Address City.

Tel. police were sent out to beat us US.

Berkeley Citizen's Action, which controls the city council, sent its student representative to our organization. She's come out and consistently argued against actions. We don't look to the liberal politicians for support by any means. there-which also receive aid from the United States. At the same time, the government of Mozambique claimed that South Africa was parachuting supplies to rebel troops in that country.

South Africa also launched a raid into Swaziland last month against an alleged African National Congress "guerrilla base."

Such actions contradict Reagan's claim that South Africa "is not seeking to impose their government on other surrounding countries." Through his coverup of South Africa's aggression, Reagan sought to justify his refusal to impose an effective SCAN can help S.A.: How much of a voice are students and faculty given on campus?

J.H.: None at all. The only voice we've had has been gained by going out and standing up to them.

The regents were scared. They had to give in to us on one issue. That doesn't mean that we have control of the university. Even the faculty doesn't have any power. The faculty asked the regents to divest last year.

The lack of democracy didn't surprise anybody in the Campaign, but it may have suprised some who took part in the movement. Most people in the Campaign think that getting involved around student/campus issues is the best way to get students involved in the political embargo on South Africa.

The Nicaraguan people and the Black majority in South Africa are both seeking to exercise the right of self-determination in order to free themselves from imperialistimposed bonds of poverty. The struggle of these two peoples is the same.

Our demonstrations, rallies, and protests should combine the demands of both of these powerful struggles. We must demand "No U.S. Intervention in Central America," "End U.S. Support to Apartheid, "Embargo South Africa, Not Nicaragua. -The Editors We need your help to reach hundreds of new readers.

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