Vorster, writes RICHARD sent troops into Angola, the Justice after Sharpeville in the carly 1960s.
It will also remember him as the Nazi, a senior officer in a South WATERETT movement who said: We stand ENTEENE Nationalm which is an ally of National Socialim. You can call anti-democratic principle diciatorshin it sou wish. In Ilaly it is called Fascism, in Germany an unvert for mercenuries in the Rhodesian army. THE WORLD will retain a brutal memory of John CARVER. lt remember him as the butcher of Sowelo, the man who responsible for the round up of African nationalists National Socialism, South Africa Christian NatAll these impressions are accurate, but if we remember him as a blood-crazed maniac THIS will miss the and contradictions that have emerged under Vorster's rule.
WATCH IS TOWELL Mommy, can I go to Rhodesia?
THE young gent who is so keen on belping the white racists is reling an issue of Soldier of Fortune magazine. The back page is But it isn'1 just the lumatic fringe who encourage the racists and 'Soldiers of forlune'. The Wild Geese, a füm which glorifies the role of while mercenuries in Africa, will probably be showing at lively a one party state. Since will the black population is already excluded from the franchise, This may not scem particularly Minister SHE US CALL But contradictions within white and in South Alnica are increasingly expressed inside the ruling Nationalist Party. party leader has played a vital THIC various factions. changes • First, he has managed to cut down the political influence of English-speaking politicThe SOF Bug Bites Early!
picket of the film.
the firms because UNDERMINED apanheid" sport.
presided dence af the crowning glory of development"
principles course, relative).
Even when success plicaomenal State of RIVAL larger econciony.
by the almost I CAN? your loeat cinema over the nest couple of weeks. Contuct your local anti-racist committee or Anti Nazi League Ruciun und Fuscism, who last Saturday organised a 70-strong backers. Many multinationals ate opposed to aspects apartheid for economic rea- POHA For example, the migrant labour systein is costly to many Fi makes it WaST impossible to cultivate a stable the semi-skilled black labour force.
smarter Vorster has undermined the imperiabst demagazic humanist rhetorie which such people used to cover heart.
motives by lising certain aspots of pelly This has made the Afrikaner purists squcal, but Vorster has stuck to the basic principles of It was he who over the "indepen'Bantssrans" which were supposed to he the separate The fact that he has never wavered from the essential enabled Vorster lo straddle the CODHaHON осмоси постн and conservative clements it produced his own party the terms are, of La group ol hardliners broke away Vorster isolated them by some tough talking Afrikaner clectioneer- Africa ing which kept the witra-racist vote for the Nationalists.
Vorster's holding white was the boom in the 1960s, Between 1960 and 190D seven ner cent.
More spocifically Vorster presided over the emergence of and Telvenated Afrikaner capital to rival the have already been murdered in Englich domination of the "democratic' This has been accompanied total disap pearance of the Nationalist Party's white rivals and the defection of English-speaking royed het: exclusive party of Afrikanerwhen Just as there wastension with the multinationas over do. the mestic policy, so also Vorster Ossendort.
She which dragger months, advance she was compele- loss ACTIVE and her active, Shuttles do what it But the faced differences with the imperialist powers over forciga Vorster soon came round to sonte of the neo-colonial plans of Britaie and the US bur this because he Thal responsive to world opinion' political obituarists would have us believe than the fact that Vorster was just a lot than many colleagues. He realised that th powers had the Interests of white capitalim st The Just as imporrantly the new looking for market.
place bur that required a greater senspirus to nage since neigh hours than there had been UNEASILY But the coonomic breakIroud into me Aircan hinterland never came and the Vorster regime found irseif caught uneasily between poliThe 1973 Middle Fast war La new political situation. While an Alro-Arab blac hardened in opposition to South Africa there developod an asis between countries like Isracl. Lan, Hrazil and South - countries armed by the Us as policensen for their respcctive resions, His final years were not remerahered. THE FRIENDS OF ASTRID PROLL ure in feur of her life. knowing that eight political onsoners in west Gerinam years by th West German state and that the British stute will he complicit in carrying onl their demands for extradition She faces a return lo the conditions thai nearly destShe was arrested in May 1971 she underwent months sensory deprivation in "Silent Wing' in Koeinwas transferred Frankfurt/Preungesheim in September 1973 for her trial.
on for four until an medical found unahle sible - to standariat and sne was purbe hail for reconsalescence daily reporting to the police. In was solitary These conditions creatin Asid Proll and in Astrid complete breakdown of hes circulatory system, which led to her hospitalisation.
WHID Despite her problems here in overcoming her ardeal, and the necessity of hiding her identics constant Tear of faces, discovery, she has always beca deeply involved with over sex discrimication whic a fitter's mate al Lesney's toy factor will and strongly commitled to her work as an instrucior ar the car-mechanics workshop for young unemployed.
The press has attempted to esually does women, which is to trivialse Act and delve into personal derails rather than discuss the real imulications of her acrest.
commitment and FAP. support from her workmates who have all, including the happy ones for Vorster. A nice underly transition colonies was one thing: the ting of iberation movements tightcong their prip on southern Africa in the carly 1970s was quite anorher And 50 the ivasion af Angola was undertaken largely against Vorster's better jadgement.
SHATTERED The resalt was traumatic white dream of South Alrican invincihility was shattered: South African hars to watch black soldiers giving the Afrikaner a pasting.
The appalling conditions and issues which fuelled the Sovere uprising are well known - hut was ango wa set the townships aligh The impact of these two disasters for the apartlieid regime is still felt and had significant part in Vorster's resignation.
The reason South Africa will not give an inchover Nambia is. because of the black encicle. ment af the racist state. And Vorster's laxt months have seen the removal of most of the few democratic rights remaining to If he had planned to go down in bistory as a man of peace and reason be has tailed. It 15 as a crypto-Nazi that he wil be manage made public sace saying she should be trood, have made public some of the reality of Astrid Proll.
This is the was that she relares to people, her warmth, supportiveness and directes have won widespread friendship. She is well-known within the winen' movement and ISS SUL US WOOLIALE mechanics course She also looked after ber friends" children, to free them for their own activities and has close relationships with these children, POSITIVE This is typical of her postliveness encouraging people to do thines they previously hadn't thought pos - her great strengthri that she can bring out such positiveness in other people Meinhof described her own sudden return to the isolation cell like this The shock is as if a sheet of iron crashed down onto one's head. constant roaring in the ears. the Teeins That one is moving in slow motien understanding impossible between prisoners and people SMOV isolation noise: obviously when one is there one would rather be dead.
This is what Astrid now The Friends of Astrid Proll are fighting for her life here. The campaign has lo be on lega and humanitarian ground? to La broad support posstbie. confronting the violence of the repressive state in Germany and Britain's complicity with through its STUTTER WIL the Prevention of Terrorism Astrid needs support in the form at lenters to the press donations, publicity. Write 1o Clerkenwell Close Landon ECt and organise meetinusin sour dan iren.
Socialist Challenge 28 September 1978 page 11
batons, whole combine geared to kill.