From: phjj@ruchem.ru.ac.za (Justin Jonas)
Subject: Re: A question for ANC supporters (re: Bisho)
Reply-To: phjj@ruchem.ru.ac.za
Organization: Rhodes University, Grahamstown, SA
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 09:25:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.181515.19923@frcs.Alt.ZA>, linda@frcs.Alt.ZA (Linda Jacobson) writes:
>I'd like to know, from people who are currently active supporters of,
>and preferably members of, the ANC, how they would explain a few
>things that are sticking in my throat after Bisho. Just to explain

I know some people who fall into the above category, and understand and
support some of their views, but cannot allign myself totally with the
party line. 

>sense. Firstly, why should the ANC be concentrating its energies on
>the homelands now? Surely it should be concentrating them on creating
>a climate fit for negotiating a constitution which would allow for
>re-incorporation of the homelands, or at least some way to canvass
>opinions about this among homeland dwellers? Second, if they managed to
>overthrow a homeland "government", what would they do? They couldn't
>install a dictator and maintain credibility. They couldn't hold
>elections in a "country" they don't recognise. They couldn't just
>leave the daily bureaucratic things to run themselves.  

As others have pointed out Ciskei and Bop have been singled out, and conspiracy
theories abound.  As I have said in a previous posting, the local ANC
and residents want Gqozo out: he does not allow the ANC any political
freedom, and, worst of all, his security machine is very efficient at
destroying opposition.  I would guess the same holds for Bop, but here
I rely on newspaper reports.  So the ANC sees good reason for targeting
these homelands before constitutional talks.  The bottom line is that ANC
people are getting killed in these areas.  Re-incorporation is not the
main issue, deposing dangerous despots is.

>
>The Bisho march, in my mind, had nothing to do with the Ciskei at all.
>It was a cynical political manoevre, aimed at gaining political points
>for the ANC. In the war of words that has followed, this impression

I think that one would have to be very naive to not beleive that some
people in the ANC aliance wanted to use this disaster for political
gain, but the march was inevitable.  Some months ago the NEC stopped a
disobedience campaign started by the Border branch of the ANC.  There was
a lot of ill feeling about this: local residents felt they had been
dumped so that the ANC's CODESA agenda was not disrupted.  In order to
regain its position in the community the ANC had to show concrete
oposition to Gqozo.

Again this is my own interpretation, based on conversations with people
a lot closer to the ANC than me.  

Justin


====================================================~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~
    Justin Jonas        Radio Astronomy Group,                      /V\
  _____       __    __  Dept. Physics & Electronics,         \    /     \    /
 /____/ \    /_/|  /_/| Rhodes University,                     \/   |v|   \/
|  __ \ /|  | | | | | | Grahamstown 6140, South Africa           \__|#|__/  26m
| |__) |/   | | | | | | Internet: phjj@ruchem.ru.ac.za    HartRAO   /X\    dish
|  ___ \ \  | \_\/  | |           phjj@hippo.ru.ac.za             /\/|\/\
|_|/  \__\/  \___/|_|/      Tel: +27(461)22023 ext 452      ____/\/__|__\/\____