AZAPO Speaks: We will not take part in the CODESA process
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14 SOCIALIST ACTION SEPTEMBER 1992 Following are excerpts from an interview with Molatlegi Thlale, a central leader of the Azanian People's Organization (AZAPO).
AZAPO is the major organizational continuation of the Black Consciousness movement, which was initiated by Black students in the early 1970s. AZAPO was formed in 1978 "to fill the leadership gap" after the banning of all Black Consciousness organizations the year after the 1976 Soweto rebellion.
This interview was given to Michael Schreiber on June I1, 1992, in Johannesburg.
Socialist Action: The CODESA [Convention for a Democratic South Africa] negotiations have now been suspended. But there is talk about restarting negotiations between the white regime and the African National Congress and its allies. Do you think that AZAPO would take part in these negotiations at some point?
Molatlegi Thiale: Definitely not. We will not take part in the CODESA process. Now, in the future, or at any point in time. We will never participate in CODESA-for reasons that are probably well known to you. But brietly, it was created by the government to blunt the liberation efforts of our people, and can never deliver the goods whatsoever. It is meant to entrench the minority rights and privileges and keep white supremacy in place.
SA: AZAPO, I believe, was the first Black liberation organization to raise the call for a constituent assembly—a conference of the liberation organizations to draw up a new constitution. When was that?
MT: As early as 1982. It was contained in our education policy. We came up with it at the time that it was fashionable to talk about a "national assembly." That was at the formation of the United Democratic Front, which was mainly Charterist [adhering to the Freedom Charter, the program adopted by the African National Congress]. And at that time, the government was bringing into place this gimmick that we see today—the Tricameral Parliament. Several components of the liberation movement then thought to (continued on page 16)