South African socialist women's organizations, and youth

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Workers Organization for Socialist begins 17-city U.S. tour ing the rebellion of 1984-1987.

meeting of OSAALE in the after- If Andrews comes to speak in your noon. That evening, she attended an area, by all means cancel other OSAALE social gathering. Both engagements and go to hear her! Here events were aitended by South in the heart of imperialism, we have Africans from various political cur- plenty to learn from her and WOSA rents, several of whom had come long For more information, on her tour distances to hear her news from home schedule and radio engagements, teleand her critical analysis of the current phone (415) 821-0459. radio program that is broadcast on Africa.

For information on when the inter- Mercia Andrews call Zenzile at WBAI. Telephone ing. Socialist Action member Paul a revolution. However, she Siegel chaired the meeting, and did not think that the De Andrew Lukele, former professor at Andrew Lukele introduced the topic Klerk government would the New School and a member of the and the featured guest. Andrews gave a allow even this basic Organization of South Africans/Aza- sketch of the political situation today democratic demand nians for Liberation Education in South Africa, and fielded questions At both the public meet(OSAALE) also took part in the inter- from the audience. view. The discussion centered on the ques- evening, Andrews stressed In the evening, Andrews spoke at a tion of the call by Black activists in the primary importance of public meeting at the Union Theolog- South Africa for a constituent assem- rebuilding the mass orgaical Seminary in upper Manhattan. bly. Andrews also explained how nizations of the Black About 70 people attended the meet- WOSA is implementing the tactic of South African working White South African neo-Nazis celebrate Conservative Party election victory.

Meanwhile, within the CODESA forum, majority in South Africa." the ANC indicated it was willing to make The white referendum will certainly major concessions on the issue of power- strengthen this opinion among the Black sharing, even after a new constitution is population. How the ANC will respond approved. ANC Secretary General Cyril remains to be seen.

SOCIALIST ACTION MARCH 1992 13 NEW YORK CITY. Mercia Andrews, the national organizer of the Action (WOSA) in South Africa, kicked off a 17-city tour of the United Statec and Canada with her arrival here on Feb. 27. The tour, sponsored by the Democracy in South Africa Tour Committee, will conclude with her return to New York City on March 28 The first event of the tour was a brown-bag lunch at the Africa Institute at Colombia University. Andrews appeared at the invitation of Prof.

Anthony Marks. who had met and worked with her in Capetown. Her presentation on the prospects for change in South Africa was generally well-received, and inspired a lively question and answer period with 30 students, professors, and activists who came to hear the socialist perspective.

On Feb. 28, Andrews was interviewed by Zenzile Khoisan, executive producer of "The Africa Report," a WBAI in New York and on other stations across the country.

view will be broadcast in your area, (212) 279-0707.

S. Africa referendum (continued from page 1: “S. African 'whites only' referendum: A blow to Black freedom struggle”) our behalf!"

But rather than accede to the Conservatives' demands that he call a whites-only general election—which could be difficult to win—De Klerk decided to appeal to whites by means of a single-issue referendum. "If I lose that referendum," he conceded, "I will resign."

A decade of increasing economic hardship and political instability has spread alarm among the white population-even creating dissent within De Klerk's own party. They fear, not without some justification, that they will lose their remaining privileges under a govemment dominated by the Black majority. The Conservatives' reactionary calls for "self-determination for whites," and for a "white homeland" are gaining a hearing.

And so, in the campaign for a "yes" vote on the referendum, De Klerk has tried hard to reassure white voters that he is working to protect "minority" interests within the new constitution.

At the same time, National Party campaigners emphasize that a "no" vote would be suicide for whites. If the "reform" process doesn't go forward, they warn, it could spark a radical—if not violent—response by angry Blacks. The whole world could unite against the isolated white minority, and young white men once again could be sent to the frontier to die.

A change of tactics It's not without irony that De Klerk and the National Party present themselves as the "reform" wing of white politics. During the last 44 years of apartheid rule, National Party governments used every means in the book-including arrests, assassinations, and bloody massacresto fortify their power against the Black majority.

But the declining economy and the strong resistance by Black workers and township dwellers caused the "Nats" to change their tactics. Although the climate of political violence has hardly diminished (6000 Blacks have been killed since the beginning of 1990), the watchword today is "negotiations."

De Klerk hopes to preserve white capitalist power by drawing in a portion of the Black political leadership to share the spoils. It is for that purpose only that the ANC and other Black organizations have been given a place at the CODESA table.

With De Klerk's obvious approval, the ANC has been remaking itself from a Black liberation movement into a populist parliamentary-type party. Speaking at the ANC's 80th anniversary celebration on Jan. 8, Nelson Mandela announced the organization's plans to convert itself into an electoral party that would strive to get out the vote for ANC candidates "like a well-oiled machine."

Along the way, however, the ANC's political positions are being retailored to the united front.

On Feb. 29, Andrews spoke at a associations. situation, At a reception on March 1. hosted by Edith and Paul Siegel, the constituent assembly was again the main topic of discussion. Some people objected that the demand March 4 for a constituent assembly would not in and of itself March create socialism in South March 6-9 March 10 Andrews answered that WOSA had no illusions March 11 that a constituent assem- March 12-13 March bly would lead straight to March 14 March March March 18-20 March ing and the reception that March 22-24 March 25 March 26-28 appear less offensive to a multi-racial electorate-as well as to the capitalist class. The ANC shuns the slogan of "Black mainrito mila" in favor of self-determina. tion for the "entire" South African nation. (Johannesburg Star, Feb. 19, 1992).

Mandela recently assured business leaders in the United States and Europe that the ANC is for "free enterprise" and that it would reevaluate earlier pledges to nationalize certain industries. In Africa Business magazine last month, ANC economic advisor Vellay Pillay spelled it out: "There is no intention on the part of the ANC to attant nanortor minhto "9 allala piuperly uguw.

15REMARANS 16:30 to mere shells of what they were durAndrews pointed out that every member of WOSA must belong to at leact one of thece proanizations or Mercia Andrews tour schedule Feb. 27-March 1 New York/New Jersey March 2-3 Minneapolis/St. Pau Pittsburgh Lewisburg, Pa.

Boston Milwaukee Iowa City Chicago Toronto Cleveland Baltimore Washington, D.C.

San Franciscı

Portland Los Angeles Kansas City, Mo.

New York City New Brunswick Ramaphosa said in an interview with the London Financial Times that if the ANC wins a large majority of votes in a future election it would still he willino to rule in coalition with the National Party.

Its no wonder that many Blacks feel that the CODESA negotiations are a trap. Chris Dlamini, vice president of the COSATU trade-union federation, told the Johannesburg Star: "The feedback we get from many of our members is that the government is taking the ANC for a ride. They feel that the ANC should withdraw from the talks and go back to the bush—so that the govarnmant chauld fool tha imnant of tha

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While the pages of the PWW are replete