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PAC Chairman Nyati Pokela interview (Pan Africanist Congress of South Africa)
Date: 11/13/1982Call Number: AFR 009AFormat: Cass AProgram: Songs of FreedomCollection: South Africa
Judy Jensen of the Material Aid Campaign for ZANU interviews the Chairman of South Africa’s PAC (Pan Africanist Congress). Nyati Pokela speaks about the history and purpose of the PAC and explains what Bantustans are and why they were created. He explains why the PAC and the ANC (African National Congress) deem it necessary to engage in armed struggle against the Apartheid government, and how the PAC’s leaders lead by example by taking risks for the cause. Pokelu details the role of women in the struggle and the conditions of the black population of South Africa, and explains the unequal development of different African countries toward independence. He talks about the similarities between the struggles in South Africa and the US, and calls for solidarity with the PAC and Africa’s cause.
ZANU-PF on the role of education
Professor Caulterwell of ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front) speaks about the role of education in the struggle against white rule and imperialism. He discusses the teacher shortage and that textbooks lack an African view. All community and missionary schools will come under the direction of the ZANU government after independence.
Peter Jones on Steve Biko
Date: 12/17/1986Call Number: AFR 015Format: Cass A & BProgram: Jacobin ProgramCollection: South Africa
Peter Jones of AZAPO (Azanian People’s Organization) speaks about Steve Biko & the Black Consciousness Movement. He speaks about the 1960s era of heightened political agitation and the Soweto Uprisings of 1976. Jones talks about the ANC (African National Congress) and the PAC’s (Pan African Congress) role abroad and at home, and how AZAPO has taken over where the Black Consciousness Movement has left off. He discusses the possible role of non-blacks (whites with a conscience) to the cause of liberation. He also links the Black student struggle to community struggles.
Peter Jones of AZAPO (Azanian People’s Organization)
Date: 12/17/1986Call Number: AFR 018Format: Cass A & BProgram: Jacobin ProgramCollection: South Africa
Peter Jones, of Azanian People’s Organization (AZAPO), speaks on the Black Consciousness Movement, the struggles of the black community in South Africa, and current political and social conditions.
Same as AFR 015A
Interview of Mike Tissong, a white newspaper reporter for a South African white newspaper, about his views on news censorship and the political and social situation in South Africa
Mike Tissong, a white newspaper reporter for a South African Anglo newspaper, is interviewed about his views on news censorship. He speaks about the types of views presented in the news depending on the type of newspaper (liberal, conservative, white, or black),and about the government censorship of black liberation prevalent in South Africa. Tissong also speaks on the dangers of being a white reporter in black townships because that is where the struggle is being waged. He mentions the horrible practice of prison detention of children, and laments the lack of those calling for sanctions (besides prominent people like Desmond Tutu). He comments on the current situation of oppressed people supporting the struggle against Apartheid through armed struggle. He mentions Robert Mugabe’s liberation strategy of a “bullet for a bullet” by killing whites. Tissong speaks about black on black violence in South Africa, pointing out two levels: one of the right wing (IFP - Inkatha Freedom Party), the other from cultural movements in Natal. On political and social movements and organizations, he talks about the Black Consciousness Movement and its call for a stop to violence, and the UDF’s (United Democratic Front) call for violence in the struggle. Lastly, he speaks on the west’s (United States) view of Southern Africa, as they treat it like a game. The west only supports groups like AZAPO (Azanian People’s Organization), but ignores ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union), and only recognizes the ANC (African National Congress), not other South African liberation organizations.
Conference on liberation and reconstruction struggles in Southern Africa
Continuation of AFR 034
See enclosed note in AFR 035
Conference on liberation and reconstruction struggles in Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Namibia. A representative of SWAPO (South West African People’s Organization) speaks about the international community being in solidarity with Southern African countries, and asks for support for SWAPO’s continued struggle for liberation in Namibia. A member of the Zimbabwe admission to the United Nations speaks about the bonds formed between liberation fighters in Africa and internationally. He speaks about the leaders of ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union), the ANC (African National Congress), and the PAC (Pan African Congress). He speaks on the history of the struggles for independence and human rights in Southern Africa, and the contued struggle for liberation. Sylvia Baraldini of the May 19th Communist Organization speaks on the National Campaign in solidarity with the ZANU Women’s League. She talks about the lessons of the struggle for liberation in Zimbabwe and looks at the process of reconstruction. A permanent representative of the PAC of Azania to the United Nations speaks about South Africa. He comments on South African president P.W. Botha’s refusal to erode Apartheid through economic means. He talks about a socialist solution incorporating equal distribution of wealth and power, and calls people to work together to fight oppression.
Saths Cooper on South African issues and Steve Biko.
Saths Cooper, president of South Africa’s Professional Board for Psychology, speaks about Steve Biko, leader of the Black Consciousness movement. He speaks about Apartheid and colonization’s influences on South Africans. He claims that the west usually ignores the exploitation and wrongs of colonization on South Africa, and instead concentrates only on anti-Apartheid movements. The struggle is both at the national and social levels. The struggle means repossession of land and social transformation. Whites own most of the land in South Africa, but constitute only 15% of the population. Cooper also talks about how the youth have taken the lead in the revolution because they have vested interest in their futures, so they fight against resignation to the law. He says, “The youth have become the collective consciousness of a people denied on a political, social, and economic level.” He speaks about racial and economic hierarchies in South Africa, and about Steve Biko’s influence and student organization influence. He lastly speaks about how AZAPO (Azanian People’s Organization) follows Black Consciousness ideologies, while other organizations in South Africa follow AZAPO’s ideology, and he claims that Biko had to be killed when he did (1977) because people were unified under UDF (United Democratic Front - a South African umbrella organization of banned black organizations) and they realized they had a common enemy, so they needed to strike together. Therefore, the government killed Biko because of his strong influence and threat to the psychological impact of Apartheid. Cooper’s talk is followed by a question and answer session, and continues to Side B.
Mandela in America
Date: 1/1/1990Call Number: V 150Format: VHSProducers: Danny SchechterCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This complete chronicle of Nelson Mandela's U.S. tour includes an exclusive interview with Mandela and reactions from President Bush to actress and South African, Alfre Woodard. Also includes performances by Aretha Franklin, Tracy Chapman, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Stevie Wonder and more.
Additional performers include: Aretha Franklin, Tracy Chapman, Hugh Masekela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Johnny Clegg, Sweet Honey in the Rock.
A commemorative documentary.
Music Producer(s): Danny Schecter & Rory O'Connor
Combines studio and live performances.
The state of South Africa and relations with the United States.
Interviews about the state of South Africa.
Elizabeth Sebeko is interviewed about the South African Freedom Charter, the ANC (African National Congress), the PAC (Pan African Congress), land issues, race issues, and discrimination and overt oppression in South Africa. She speaks about how the Freedom Charter is designed and should be for the native black people of South Africa, not the colonizers.
Next, Harold Fuluin, South African Minister of Cooperation and Development & “black affairs”, responds to a question about the government’s reforms increasing violence in the country. He responds, saying that the ones inciting the violence are the militant leftist groups in South Africa, who are only looking for complete revolution. He states that in the government’s reforms, the term “one man, one vote” does not apply to black enfranchisement because of such population diversity in the country. In response to the interviewer’s claim that the South African white government is only moving toward reform in response to black violence, Mr. Fuluin answers by repudiating the claim, instead saying that the reform process bagan around 1982, “long before there was any sign of organized violence in the country” (which, of course, is not true).
Next, a news program discusses Washington D.C.’s perceived pressure on Pretoria, South Africa, to step up reforms in the country. Mr. Maines of Washington speaks about President Ronald Reagan’s administration getting much opposition to its foreign policy on South Africa. He says that Prime Minister P. W. Botha does not seem to respond to the pressure. He also says that Reagan is in a quandry because his support comes from the Right and their ties with South Africa, but he is facing major pressure from all over the US to impose sanctions on South Africa. Lastly, poor recording of a woman and man speaking about the Congo and the Belgians.
Radio Freedom: Voice of the African National Congress and the People’s Army, Umkhonto We Sizwe
Date: 1/1/1996Call Number: CD 388Format: CDProducers: Rounder recordsCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Voice of the African National Congress
Radio Freedom was the underground radio station of the ANC. Founded in 1967, it would eventually broadcast into South Africa daily from neighboring African states. These selections are from broadcasts out of Lusaka Zambia, circa 1985. Note how the insurrectionary character of that period is reflected in both the form and content of the broadcasts.
Selections from Radio Freedom:
Radio Freedom Sign-On [1:27]
Revolutionary Violence [commentary, 3:47]
Uphi Lomkonto? (Where is our Army?) [music, 1:22]
Our Task is to Make Government Impossible [commentary, 4:53]
Solomon Mahlanghu [music, 1:57– Solomon Mahlangu was a young MK soldier who was captured and executed in 1979]
Tribute to the Anti-Apartheid Movement in USA [music and commentary, 1:52]
Closing Signature [0:56]
