o TEXACUANGOS

A blind man was standing in the shade of a tree on the road to Texacuangos when the soldiers arrived.- Old man, have you seen any strange peop lev

And the old man repliedthat at his age he'd no eyes for seeing any strange people or any people at all.- We’re looking for Government enemies active in these parts,say the soldiers to the blind man.

The soldiers go their way.- Good-bye, lieutenant Juan Martinez.The lieutenant looks downat the name-plate on his chest, and asks the blindman how the devil he had guessed his name.- By my sense of smell, lieutenant.To which there was no reply.The lieutenant returns to his soldiers who disappear down the road.The blind man still stands, in the shade of the tree, resting.The thing is, in Texacuango, there are strange people and strange people but the lieutenant was un­aware of that.

12

T E X A C U A N G O S

Estaba un ciego en el camino, a la vera de un arbol, en la ruta que lleva a Texacuangos cuando llegaron los soldados.- Seiior, senor, no ha visto gente extrana?Y el viejo les respondeque a sus arios ya no le quedan ojos, que sus ojos no ven gentes extranas ni gente de ninguna clase.

Buscamos enemigos del Gobierno que andan por esta zona, dicen al ciego los soldados.

. os soldados siguen su camino- Hasta luego, teniente Juan Martinez.El teniente se mira la plaquita en el pecho grabada con su nmbre.Y le pregunta al ciego como diablos ie adivino su nombre.- Por el olfato, mi teniente.Y el teniente no sabe que decir.Retorna nuevamente a sus soldados hasta perderse en el camino.Mientras el ciego sigue, a la verade un arbol, descansando.Es que en esta region de Texacuangos habita gente extrana y gente extrana de la cual el teniente no se daba cuenta.

MANLIO ARGUETA

13

Th* reggae genre might speak

if '.he ghetloes 10 people w h o

k:.. w something of its ongins

but to a person listening to it for

'he first time, to someone w h o is

:voying the bent and the words

.v likely that the words vvil,

thought more than the

.ciiutR O n e has only to Io o k at the

soriaiis: anthem, ' The Red Flag

and the Afrikaans folk song 0

Bovn'plaus" to understand this

because both have ;h*! -aim­

mune

T h e s y m b o l i s m 1 s o n

b p c o r a e s an i n c r e a s i n g l y

.rr.piOtar.: area to investigate

Those w ho beiteve tnat anything

i'.er than the ' music oj the

m p t , is n< X pure should trv ^ International international new s (2!

jssue . A fl .can ,o)k O Chorus: I feel the bom b y*ah - M L

1 Put a blanket over Soweto

They put a blanket now here to go n o w

They put a blanket over the new s

They put a blanket nothing to choose

tackling

music in in*; oght of the -taw’s

encouragement of tribalism

Another area that will cans*

i-on fusion !. r p ro g re ss iv e s

involved m music making is ih«.

question of production o

recorded music, which is sur*v.'

as important «s the product use !

ursd its i.-i’fcc’

‘.votiid upp'-,:

*

I\

IZz2

-StIt grows inside me

I feel the bom b ye»h ^ .u

It blows up inside you i-N

I feel the bom b y »*h y<.L

Is something w rong here u m

;::>‘w mvoi nen!

om pam es

Once ag.itr

thouj.nt.

Anyo'u

:

: h • ■ ■ ■uMim-"

that musii.ia'

! h rectu

i ; I\o>on, the ntaue:

i v sux:j' >r». tha t if

make mut:- w ith ’:■ system re ta in in g con tro l

it ilaa nr: become packaged

i‘njpr:ai>i»:f-’:f tv:, be hard put

in a find any evidence that :t

r happer.i d The

'■■■'.a: 'n^h r •>■ mu.-’ ' ■

v *. ■ h o h ’ i’n s t n ■ ■ \■ l . ; , . . . : s I , - - n - j s h > r v

■ .■;« a rc k J e p e ’ids

i .»•; • u hnnluay:oe^ .. ■ rhuf technoiocv an : '

r ■■■.: u ' n o n p r o c e s s e s a~i :

cim'srnUfd b ‘. btmnesstnen n!

suer dreams of achieving c

through publicity> are doom ed

Vet technological advance is

crucial to the development and

d i s s e m i n a t i o n o f a n e v-•

relevant music, and at this

stage the alternatives of m aking

recordings outside of the record

I feel the bom b

There ’s nothing w rong

t Going to the movies

W h a t do I see

Going to the movies

W h at are they throwing at

W h at are they throwing at me

International n ew s

3 International views

<542 Insanity

\ They sent the troops y«ah

Into Angola

They sent the choppers

Over the border

They put a blanket over the border

They put a blanket into Angola

Nt_

UKl

\

t

)

fb

industry are not really viable on

a large scale

This is because of the pow er of

International international n ew s (2|

Chorus: I feel etc.

I Going to the movies

W h at do I see

Going to the movies

W h at are they throwing at

W h a t are they throwing at m e

International yachting

In the deep blue sea /_ fj

3 International jum ping

Society

I They put a blanket over the blanket

A And then a blanket over that blanket <_

3 They put a blanket to suffocate it

Put a blanket ; ^

^ Suffocate ’ 1International international new s

iV A N K A D E Y . N A T I O N A L W A K E

M l

N

a \ k

ART A G A IN S T WAR 6 ? .

An e x h i b i t i o n o f work by C a p e Town a r t i s t s on t h e them e o f p e a c e

in So u th A f r i c a , c o - o r d in a t e d by th e C ap e Town Enel C o n s c r i p t i o n

Commi tt.ee

V e n u e : B a x t e r M a in fo y e r

D a t e s : 1 4 th to 2 8 th S e p t e m b e r

O p e n in g : S u n d a y 1 4 th S e p t e m b e r

Them es: - in s e a r c h ol' a j u s t p e a c e i n S o u t h A f r i c a

- the v i o l e n c e o f a p a r t h e i d

- c iv i l w ar )

- m il it a r is m ) w it h e m p h a s is on S o u th A f r i c a

- c o n s c r ip t io n )

- i n t e r n a t i o n a l p e a c e them es

A r t i s t s who h a v e t e n t a t i v e l y a c c e p t e d i n v i t a t i o n s to e x h i b i t

^ a r g u e r i t a B o la n d

^ P n r d y B otha

H a m ilt o n B u d a za

J o c h im B e r g e r

P eg gy Del p o rt

P au l G ren d o n

B r id g e t S im o n s

P ip p a S k o t n e s s

Le o n V e r m e i r i n g

L o u i s van V u u ren

S u e W i l l i a m s o n

G a v in Y o u n g

Man f r e d Zy] 1 a

- fu r t h e r c o n t r i b u t i o n s from a r t i s t s , o r s u g g e s t e d c o n t a c t s ,a r e

m ost w elco m e

W orks p r o v id e d by i n v i t a t i o n ( i f d e s i r e d , i n c o n s u l t a t i o n w it h an

ECC r e p r e s e n t a t i v e ) . I t i s s u g g e s t e d t h a t a r t i s t s put up 2 to 3 w o rk s

fo r e x h i b i t i o n , b u t f u r t h e r r e l e v a n t m a t e r ia l w il l b e w e l c o m e .l t i s

p r e f e r a b l e f o r w orks to be m o u n t e d .

S a l e o f w o r k s : s h o u ld th e a r t i s t d e s i r e to s e l l an y w o r k s ,t h e B a x t e r

t h e a t r e r e q u i r e s 10% o f t h e s a l e p r i c e .T h e End C o n s c r i p t i o n Com m ittee

r e q u e s t s t h a t a f u r t h e r 10% o f t h e s a l e p r i c e b e d o n a t e d to t h e ECC

^ ^ a m p a i g n .

A d v e r t i s i n g w i l l t a k e p l a c e t h r o u g h t h e p r e s s ,a s w ell as p o s t e r s

d i s t r i b u t e d t h r o u g h o u t C ap e T o w n .F u r t h e r s u g g e s t i o n s w elc o m e .

S e c u r i t y w i l l b e p r o v i d e d .

I t m ust b e e m p h a s is e d t h a t t h i s i s an a r t e x h i b i t i o n , and n o t an ECC

p r o p a g a n d a e x e r c i s e .O u r i n t e n t i o n i s to m ake a v a i l a b l e to th e p u b l i c

a p r o f e s s i o n a l d i s p l a y o f s o c i a l l y r e l e v a n t a r t w o r k t h a t w i l l r a i s e

th e i s s u e s o f w ar and p e a c e i n o u r c o u n t r y .

A ll a r t i s t s a r e w elco m e to a t t e n d a n y o f t h e ECC c u l t u r e com m ittee

or g e n e r a l b o d y m e e t i n g s .W e s u g g e s t t h a t we h o ld a m e e t in g o f a l l

a r t i s t s and o t h e r i n v o l v e d p e r s o n s on S u n d a y , 5 . oo p m ,a t 26 A r n o ld

S t . , O b s e r v a t o r y (p h 4 7 0 2 2 2 )

F u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n a v a i l a b l e fro m : C r i s p i a n O l v e r 4 7 0 2 2 2

J u s t i n H a r d c a s t l e 6 4 3 8 3 1

Red our Colour

I'M'’;; have poem s blood-red in co lour rin g im j like dam n bells.

Poem sthat tear at the oppressor’s fa c e and sm ash h is grip .

c l - -Poems d ia t aw aken m an:

th'S'::r:ir

0 -

joc iU D m u ^ c n .

Poetlot ihe people know that' dream s can becom e reality .

T a ll: c f f r e e d p ^ and le t j J * ' 'p !u :o c r a . dtco jw fc hi.? ;..:rIour v . i!s

tne pciiame^ '.'awls dilct'.aijics.

Talk of freedom and touch people's eyes V with the knowledge of :;e power (Jt of ift+A-rrrrt'T'' Vka, y ^

f that tw ists p rison bars like g ra ss ) and fla tten s gran ite w ails like p ;*n y .*~

Toe:an d the people

foot Blackm/n

I : . : efoot hlackm an

.v i rhe bush

r you are fifty-nine m et you

'ev.a jn ctarcs o f you people talk abou t you

>v you m u st so il be t a a c b eau tiiu l.

.ew sicel v h i L isb o a 1

iii accuracy •

;e position au

a;\Port'ji

... Guir.e^Angola

or jr.ay h i Mc^aniLique

.J- *1 the day iorrugucse lascism was ovcrthrovi

L.i I ' 1

59

Narrator This is the End Conscription Committee Roadshow.

ECC is a co-ordinating committee of 19 church, student, women's and/human

rights groups, ranging from the WPCC to Nusas to Black Sash, opposed to

m ilitir izatio n and conscription in our country. We are pleased to be

here tonight to share some thoughts about conscription - conscription

that intimately affects us all in some way or other.

(Forces Favourites theme)

"Fat Carr" We have a message for Rifleman H H du Pipeez in ttjfe operational area in

Sebokeng. Vasbyt, mindae. Love and kis'ges. Are are missing you.

Please w rite . Your father is very i l l . Your/girlfriend is going out

;ir.h someone else. There is no-one here/to look after the farm. I.ove

from your mother, your sick father, B i l l / Louvtjie, Amanda, Booysen,

Armeniarie, Laurie and 3owser.

And the song we’ re going to play £ o r you is called "On the Border".

(On the Boarder)

Conscript. f\-j years and then another two years. t o ur years What Etor?

Narrator National Servieemen who spoke to the Sunday Times had the following to say:

Voice 1 1 was on/the border for about a year, and all the time we were geared up

for contacts and ambushes. We d id n 't have to think, the army did it for us

It/was as if the guys had split personalities. A guy went to church every

^Sunday would suddenly become like an animal in that kind of situation .

(Forces Favourites theme)

We were smail kids in the middle of the jungle. We woke up at every sound

and d id n 't know what we were fighting for and supposed to do. 7 years later I'm

st ill thrown into the most horrible depressions at the slightest reminder

of Angola. '-/hen I got back I couldn't communicate with anyone, not even my

fam ily.

(Forces Favourite theme)

Voice 3 You are undar sub-conscious stress the whole time - you may not be able to

see SWAPO but that doesn't mean he is n 't there, and anything can happen at any

time. One minute you can be driving down a dirt road ) is perfectly rural

scene, trees alongside the road, you even start to appreciate being there, and

then - you hit a mine, or someone ahead of you does.

a k/ \ ^ (Forces Favourite theme)

* Voice 4 Sometimes, especially at University, I was made to feel ambarassed that 1 had

ever bean to the array. You. couldn't answer: Hey, wait a minute, I was

only 17 when I went in.

(second halt of song : :'Xhe Border” )

Narrator The following is an account of a National Serviceman' 3 experience on the

border, written in a letter to his parents.

Couldn’ t believe my eyes - there were 2 kids -

couldn’ t have been older than or . - about 13/14 years.

•?hey ytaod up and-indicated bv--sl appi nr—thpj r maga that they had

crul of aJWiiuniLion. They chucked their rifles djwn and stood

i there crying. -Pt»o-r- hings- - I wonder*—if—they knew what they-i

wexa__de-iftg-"there? Probably-forced to fight, no doubt. Our

barrel was no more than 5 yards from their faces by now. HH had

stopped. Claude asked me what to do — I didn 't quite know.

How could anyone knock off 2 kids? Insanity. I radioed Champ

and said that I 'd picked up 2 prisoners. He said we couldn't

afford to keep any , so to destroy was the only way out. I

switched off my radio - no chance I could bring myself to. Ttrsry

A Unita soldier stepped out from behind my car (they always stuck

close to our engines . . . even when they were told not to. Boy,

what useless troops.') This chap casually opened up on the kids

and took one's arm off at the elbow. This shocked the kids and

i sent then running for cover. I remember being amazed that the

wounded one hadn't dropped. I looked around and saw Basie looking

j at me. The bastard would have drilled me if I 'd done nothing,

i I ’m sure. So I said to Claude not to fire until they had got

well behind the huts.. Gave them a fa ir enough chance and then

Claude traversed through the huts nearby. We moved further.

Bit my lip a3 ?>a neared the huts - hoped the poor little s.-, .

had got away. As we passed I ‘saw that they'd hidden behind thar

i first hut and copped it real bad. Sh it . r t-n

; brrfc—?~ rnrtne»4-4H-e- bai1.-. "iat1:1 the ssa4—i-ri—rtr- vao unfair—frrr n:n>:

j brr1 experience the fruits of-ay dg c i s ^ n. -- I "wanxeir-

-verait aa— rras-ood > not bocauoe I oaw the bloe4—aad— w-rsrg-?

| T?aS" o-e-grg-chmg we'd go t-ias-ed-—to i&any eo-at acts K-mqr - ago.

I Lhb- f a d I ha I tTirf'iy were ho- youngr One had snuffed and was in .'■ half at the waist. The other was just about in half but was

\ s t ill twitching. The same Unita soldier - <they ha-ted their

;,-gngmy--aa th--no limits - stepped out again, walked up, and put

. his FN against the k id ’ s head and pulled off 4 rounds into his

I -The-boot an-^hec-hest w as^m r»e- h^iliat ing 'to~-the-4eid-r-t-hmightr-

I s t ill have nightmares about that episode.

Don't stop the bush war jtft makes my heart so proud Our men become so manly You'll spot them in any crowd

The headlines read: 'Three hundred dead And only five of ours!' ^Iirf^t/tt's aflite/^xcujaolem tereszinq-VQne'\pldier saidAnd ARMSCOR., indu^rjes-have a lovely olace To try out6 their' guns And ss-^e-n advertise to all the world 'Buv ours, they work, thev're fun1

cX.With Dassionate content I look u d .The flag flies again, half mast To the monument a name is added (Did he feel the blast?)

Adaption/to suc^a worthy cause Depends^on thinking tnat thought is a sin My adyice of^coursey/from one so wise:'Co straight from school; we'll win'

What a wonderful, wonderful state we're in We can even sometimes cry So, therefore, don't stop the bush war Vote Nat until you die.

After a patrol in Southern Angola,

W i t d & c - Thisis a poem written by a UCT student, Steve Kromberg ahout his

experiences in the army and on the border.

Conscript But why am I being conscripted? What am I fighting for?

Who am I fighting against? Moscow-inspired, mindless terrorists?

Pastor Kameata "The Namibian people refer to SWAPO as "our boys" while they speak

about the SADF as terrorists ." - Pastor Kameeta, Namibian

Council of Churches.

Judge Herman Toivo ja Toivo, I find you guilty of sabotage and subversion

Do you have anything to say before sentence is passed ?

to say that it is ruling South .

jplc. This is not true. Our

J organisation in South Wes;

rry. W e kn o w tfjat Whites d o ;

/■■is' agitators/ a m an '

•onscni

the larg

aim rp live; ro move about treely and not require * pas:

it WageV td be-■■free to'work for the person of his choic

ic wants, sind finally; to bo ruled by the people that h

.led by. and not those w h o rule him because they has

he has.f ,

wants-

inoxcg

Your.CovciTiir.enr, fny I.otii, undertook a voiy special f : , -.isi:>:i.>■ ’ ' ' • • 'V s " » . ' ,

when it; was awarded the mandarr pVer u i aftCV ilic Kifsi W£rl li

assumed a sacred trust to guide us towards independence and to p.-opaiv

it to uke-uur place among the nations of the world. W e U ’liew that

South Africa has abused that trust because ol its belie! in iaei.it

supremacy >

; iTh.c wealth o f our country has been used to train your people for

ie.ajershjp. irid the sacred duty of preparing the i n d i g e n e u

^Ske’tK^ir.place among the nations of the world has been 'ignored.

J

r v

i«e with our. aims,

that 1 -ini no: b;

isa sm again* C o J

tL-b^wisatioo. but

ictings ha.ve been

i trend om j^We have found

ur ow n country anti deprived of the right twmeci'

vn political opinions.^

tng that, in such rimes my countrymen have taken up

c is truly fearsome but w ho would nor defend n;

himself against a robber? A nd we believe that Su ia “. i.• ">• jbed uj of our country

Only, when w e are granted our independence will the struggle stoj

Only w hen our human dignity is restored to us, as equals of the Whit

wiij thtfe be peace between j>. W e believe that South Africa tu j

choice — either to live at peace with us or to subdue us bv forey f

f M y co-accused and t iia*'e suliei'iid W e arc not looking torwar..

our imprisonment. W e do not, however,, fee' that our c:!<m> .

sacrifice have been wasted. W e beitevc that hum an suffering has .

effect even on those who impose it. W e hope that what has liappci.eo

svill persuade the Whites of South Africa that we and the world ina> v

right and they m ay be wrong. Only w hen White South Africans realise

this and act on it will it be possible for us to stop our struggle *•*?

freedom and justice in the iand o' ->u; bii th-’

Narrator:In a statement made before the Windhoek Supreme Court a young Namibian

loest.objected to being conscripted into the South African Territorial Force:

Binga My name is Eric Binga. I am a farm assistant in the Vaalgras Reserve,

In November 1982 I received notice from SWA Territorial Force that I was

expected to render national service from January

As a Namibian I have serious objections in principle to rendering national

service on behalf of the SADF/ SWA Territorial Force.

Ever since June 1977, I have been a member of SWAPO and am in possession of a

SWAPO membership card.

I am convinced that the conflict between the SADF and SWAPO has arisen as a

result of the unjust treatment meted out by the S A Government to the

majority of the people of Namibia. As a result of this , many people have

left the land as refugees, ,ybr© are now involved in the struggle to liberate

this territory.

My own elder brother left the country in 1978 and I believe him to be a member

of the military wing of SWAPO.

I believe in the justice of the struggle of SWAPO, and it is quite unacceptable

to me to fight against my own people , including my own blood brother.

Conscript I don't understand. Where are the terrorists they told me about? If they're

not in Namibia, are they in South Africa then?

News ■ It is 9 o 'clock . Here is a special News Focus summarizing events around the

reader:country over the last month.

Voice 1

Voice

Voice

v7oice 4

Voice 5

Voice 6

October 6th : Louis le Grange announces that there w i l l 1be closer

co-operation between the police and SADF in "controlling unrest".

(Telex)

October 8th : Defence Force troops join police patrolling Soweto.

An army spokesperson says that 21 Battalion, the Soweto unit, would be

used " i f necessary".

(telex)

October 9th : In a statement made at their launch today, the End Conscrip­

tion Committee says that le Grange's announcement amounts to "an effective

declaration of war against the people of S A " and reaffirms its opposition

to thousands of "young South Africans being forcibly conscripted to fight

against fellow South Africans ujho daily suffer the hardships of apartheid".

( telex)

October 14th :/Allan Hendrik.se says that if the police force is insuffic ient, the Govern­

ment must have the right to use the Defence Force. "The Defence Force is

there (in Soweto) to ensure a peaceful situation. I have no problem with

th is . "

(telex)

October 15th : at the launch of the End Conscription Committee Declaration,

Dr Boesak calls for an end to compulsory conscription.

(telex)

October 23rd : Operation Palmiet is launched. 7 000 police and SADF

troops begin a house-to-house operation in Sebokeng at 3 a.m . The SADF

contingent cordons off the township while the SAP conducts house-to-house

searches.

354 people are arrested in Sebokeng. Although the search was aimed at

"revolutionaries"--there are no "p o litical arrests", according to a

police spokesperson. The 354 people are arrested under migration and

influx control laws and other common-law charges.

A hospital source says that about 60 patients in Sebokeng have been

treated for minor injuries .

(telex)

Voice^ October 24th : The 7000 strong police and army force invades the

Transvaal townships of Sharpeville and Boipatong.

p, . ^ Progressive organizations respond angrily:

tM ifS LThe UDF says that the government has pushed many parts of the country

into a state of c iv il war.

Fosatu expresses its "outrage" at the police and Defence Force occupation

of the townships. The occupation is "clearly an attempt to intimidate

township residents who have merely been trying to have their living

standards improved".

(telex)

Voice <£> Army troops withdraw from the Vaal townships.

V » , \ , &.

Conscript I ’m beginning to understand what you’re saying to me about who

I 'm conscripted to fight against. But you've conveniently

not said anything about the bombs and sabotage inside S A,

Narrator The decades of non-violent mass resistance to apartheid led by the

ANC and other organizations of the Congress Alliance were met with

naked violence by the S A Govt. This violence reached a climax in

1960 when police gunned down 69 peaceful anti-pass demonstrators at

Sharpeville. In the weeks that followed, the Govt banned the ANC

and PAC and declared a national emergency in which the army was

deployed in the townships. The following year, 1961, the ANC

decided to engage in armed struggle and launched Umkhonto We Sizwe,

its armed wing. Chief Albert Luthuli then president of the ANC

who received the Nobel prize forPeace in 1961, explains the decision:

The ANC never abandoned its method of a militant non-violent struggle

and of creating in the process a spirit of militancy in the people.

However in the face of the uncompromising White refusal to abandon

a policy which denies the African and other oprressed S Ans their

rightful heritage / freedom - no-one can blame brave just men for

could

seeking justice by the use of violent methods; nor / they be

blamed if they tried to create an organized force in order to

ultimately establish peace and racial harmony.

OR

li/ho w ill deny that 30 years of my life have been spent knocking in v'

vain, patiently , moderately and modestly at a closed and barred

door? What have been the fruits of moderation ? The past 30 years

have seen the greatest number of laws restricting our rights and

progress until today we have reached the stage where we have almost

no rights at a l l .

Luthul i.

Narrator

Narrator

Of course 1961 was notthe first time that the South African

people took up arms against their oppressors.

The colonial conquest of African land met with fierce resistance

from the South African peasantry. In 1906, Chief Bambatha

led the Zulu people in a rebellion againstthe Natal Government.

Bambatha forces were dessimated by the colonial army in what was

to be the last of the armed acts of tribal resistance.

The Spirit of Bambatha.

For Dube and Tiro and every fallen hero.

V:.« Dube. ANC representative in Lusaka, and Abraham Tiro, a young.... :-iit leader, who ficd to Botswana, were killed within weeks of one

•r in March 1974 by parcel bombs

(Poem is read)

For many young South, Africans, the events of Sharpeville and

Langa were the final straw. John Matthews was one of those

who decided to participate in armed struggle as a result of

Sharpeville. This is his story told in a poem written by

Jeremy Cronin who was detained during the same period as he,

in Pretoria Central.

Dube and Tiro warriors in an in .pi

the spirit of BambaUu

beat in choir breast.

T h e Sp irit o t B tunbath .r(1'or Dube u::d Tiro- mid evt; ;*!. ,

W e will meet

D u b e and Tito

and ev .ry (alien heru

on (he brow of Ci'.e ilili on the brov. of the idii

when the Nation is free.

Dube and Tire

true sons of Luthuli

the spirit of Bambarha

beat in their breast.

Dube and Tiro

heroes of black children

the spirit ot Bambatha ixi cheir breast.

No lashr shackle

terror bomb or bullet

no tyrant's bloody gallow no belching cannon

can subdue

rhe spirit of Bambatha beating in the breast

of Dube and Tiro

bearing in rhe breast

every black child.

There can be

no submission

.iiva, .Mikanda • u:khviiii, Bambatha

Saloojee

.osi, Ngudle5

.. aoda - Yebo bauzi -* :'e the cudgel!

Ah those who are martyredfail in the struggle.

\v’e will meet

Xibe and Tiro

d every fallen hero

.. the brow of the hill

.. rhe brow of the hill • hen the Nation is free.

i i W i m l , , was the leader cf a hcroic rebellion against white rule in ,006

resistance l e , J ^ r f f i n E r T O anJa

nice m the nineteenth century; Johannes Nkosi was shot by Durban

d“' i" 8 tom °‘ptta “ « * > - * « • * •- Ccikc on men and Women!'

Kight o f dW Sp ear

■ all behold

.rajbetory\

■ the s'pear of ou^ ancestors;

' v unswerving cou'rse

■'-cciug the fertnimetit.

walking on Air

the prison workshop, then, over the m o n t h s over

•he screech of the grindstone, I m a>*mg j * ■

- w r«'. -.bout his lire auo times, as i crank the

hc's sharpening ;t plai« blade, holding i up

. s t o check on its bevel, dipping the blade >r Auct-r. then back to the

• j work tor m>self — heSp.ifK- i-

•he boerc• . ,

i In the prison ■ •$>. men. • j .am .vlattacws,

i wa>> he present on the- vvv:> ti.i;. s ->i kliptown

j 1955V . v.>sen -he P cv p l e C . i. ress adopted

i ute Freedom v. haiier?

■ACiU.iiiV

Ni. it*. wa.sn 7

• w -i.i- hi fore, he built cne platform.

in the pfi.Min VVOUOitsO;’, ' i'Cy^O .'■: I : t• :. .; It Ot exlv.tU':

Pmr+Ttrrrr—;—tt-?— — r —.••-rr,l .,hv ::'

Miutche.’!, ciiv making and hx "f . t p h:

though {'...ivl: r.e.er, vu;vii v«.>; u.iich mm

speak ir

:-ut acre, : i

trom the :• »vor! >!.».

: 1 r t C 1S i. > 11 C1' *'* ‘ ? ! c •; \ t'?. -

ivO; I' . u * 111 i». . . J < 5 .1 u< r

,:uo the hist of his jail term

. i)oped now he has grown

hi this undernourished frame

mat dates backto those first years of his life.

when his father came

blacklisted home

i torn the 1922

katui Revolt,

it'.d there with a-makeshift

J orge in their backyard

never again to be employed

father passed on to his son

j W - ■V'- V : V .' ••/ .

A litekmg

j ive for the making

| And the recession came

' but lit- gut a bookkeeping ioi

with Kobe Silk

On the sam e blockJohn Edward

Matthews

Mondays to Fridays

on that same bi- -ck

for 37 unbroken years untilIL •■ The security po'L-

• picked him up But first

: way back to the thirties

I W E EK E N D S IN iHi TiliK TIES:

j ch urch an < ■

by Zoo Lake.

And Later, deedlc-deedie

- Dulcie; heel-toe,

his future wife

Whom he courted with

(he can still do ir)

diddie-diddie: the cake-walk

And always

j on Sundays it was

church and church.

And then to Kobe Silk

there c ame

j i new clerk

j Ms'er ( harnevby name

a short little bugger who talked

Economics at lunch-break

\nd Mycr Chames talked

of aii hitherto existing societies,

: he history of freeman

And slave, lord, sed,

guiidmaster, journeyman,

bourgeois, proletarian and

In a word

John Matthews stopped

; going to church.

His name got inscribed

..inside.

of 3 red parry card

tie learnt to fix diTphorrtors line? i v ,vc'’A‘r'; ■■

• He vyas still selling

Infeuiuiekoi in 194?

when even the bourgeois-on ss wrote

R E D ;A R M Y HAS BROK'-'V

i B R O K E N

Tfip BACK O F HITLERi| . .......‘ ................... ................. -

I Membership becomes a punishable crime.But laws only

postpone matters — somewhat.

There were still duplicators to fix

and typewriters to mend

through the 50s

■ Passive Resistance, the Congress Alliance,

Defiance Campaign, Pass Burnings, Bus

Boycott, Potato Boycott, the Women’s

March, the Treason Trial, the Freedom

Charter, until

Until I960: the massacre

Sharpevilie

and Langa.

And people said: Enough,

our patience, it has limits’ . .. and so

if was no longer just typewriters and duplicators.

to mend.it ,

A man would come co the backyard and whisper:

30 ignitors.

And John Matthews would make 30, to be

delivered to X. And a man would come in the dead of msrhtOThese need storing comrade, some things

wrapped in waterproof cloth.

TE R R OR ISTS BOM B POW ER id NFS

He would read in the buiir'eois press, or

M ID N IG H T PASS Oi FiCE »i AS i

He'd s>gh a small sigh

-Hadn't been sure

1 hose damned umirors would work

! Finally,

j 1964.

After .i quarter century in the strugg:-.:

A security police swoop

j and John Matthews w is on-.'

among several detained.

White and 52

5 so they treated him nice.

| They only made hirn standA .A T.: -ri-'

On two brick'

; for three days

■ and three nights and

r. When he asked to go to tj>e lavatory

I they Said'

i Shit in your pants

*■

mBut the State needed witnesses

So they changed their tune.Tried sweet-talking him round.Think o f your career

(that didn't work)

Think of the shame of going to jail

(that thought only

filled him with pride)

You really want kaffirs to rule?

(like you said)

Think of your wife

(Dulcic. Dulcie.

7 kids. Dulcie.

She’s not: political at ail).

And there they had him.

On that score he was worried, it’s true.

And they promised him freedom.

And they pressed him for weeks on end

Until finally he said:

I.si

Okay, agreed.

- But first I must speak with my wife.

Barely an hour it took them to find

and rush Dulcie Matthews

out to Pretoria Jail.

Then looking nice, because they let him shave,

let him comb his hair, looking nice then,

chaperoned by smiling, matrimonial police­

men, shaven and combed, John Matthews

got led out to his wife, and holding her hand,

they let him hold her hand, he said

— Do you know why they've brought vom-

And she said

— ! do.

And he said

— Dulcie, 1 will never betray my comrades.

And with a frog in her throat she replied

— I’m behind you. One hundred percent.

So back they hauled John Matthews then andthere,

back to the cells,

that was that, then, bur

ail the way down the passage

toe-heel, heel-toe, diddlc-diddie

> O N E H U N D R E D PERCENT

.TSV,*»*yf£ * * * « .

:s m

Narrator 1976, Soweto, was the next significant period, when thousands

of young South Africans left the country to take up arms.

/

cl SwVveioC »t -J this crticihle

. . c. :ho bbst furnace

; ,.ir«cs whirl arid dancc and sosr in the red-hot wind,

■ ic- a;:..y o: :i~v/ uge

r. a raus, buiiets.

Crfiyir.5> i-e-nrurics of slavery

:.v. whhvut care oa<Jrmourul carsa- kin:; n-er.il with clenched fists

T i . : h c :U:»SOf Soweto

• -r.-ntujstj th>. •s es-cf Mar.iefedi

yi;8ar::ng.«he heatc ot Guguletu

v . feuxcstii like ftowcflMu Bon(ci:euwci.*

warrior cry Atnnrsdb!1 rising in every tinoat.

tv:Tiy;.:g with the incandescent embers

v, ..rriyr cry whirls -::d soars with collapsing child

ignite triumphant Freedom's gua.

D:-;;.isin" death:

! U n d e r aur.i/.Je oi machines

i U n U er m u z z le ot jutdtcr

teenagers and the S-year-olds

People listen . . .

Ihccr> V r y s d r i e s on assassin's’ lips.

press forward into die pten-ing st •• m

i advance into th; n :t! or ’.wad

advance into the lead and weigh: at a :

and tumble — iu a a instant tut:.:

freeze tumble and sprawi

. li’ue rag duUs in dtc dust

collapsing under barbed- .vtre batcher’s chorus baying Vrysi.;-'.: v r>.t ;at.-

Afterdeaih:

They cover the*

tiit !a..scover the- sott ia-.is witn .dveci ■

i crimson newsprint on >>... ■; uuider the eyes o: the b s

the barbed-wirc-eyes ot Uonar, r.. ..u ....

They write the -the mortuary nunsaerv son the rows ot tofer.cm; the forest of.tOK-henct.s where brains cr.cc beatche challenging beac u n .x r tr. u... -*.! . . -

-ft

' I. remain a fufl'inai|;VV question not

scare, my goring g;

Narrator One of Soweto's children who returned to S A and was captured

was Solomon Mahlangu. - the first guerilla hanged by the

S A Govt for sabotage.

D E A T H ROW

I lie I'.rst we hea r is :his - ;oiuomioi: cajol ing Saujduer

T en m i n u t e s i a t c i , v.ir .Squeak-squeak-sgue. i 1.. aero.- ■■ il.c . . Walks an unfami l ia r v . r

It's three j’ahken ■<Not grasping .

Who w t artTht'y're imp;>ss;bii\ 4Can i do

Nothing iL'itl then:

J o h a n n e s Shaban,David Moisc.Bo bb v Lsotsnbe /

HavingSkipped t h e c o u n t s

t ra ined in- divotse partsv.slipped b a d oi a mi !'■■ i

Dugdiggers ol the e \r t

residcrs u- h u k s uutlcrjir* Sons o f t h e sod

b r e a th to be su •-'Itb r ea th sv. al lowed !•••. ti:c

in the n igh tda rk e r th an ’ n : k

and all 1.

26

N.U

Sasoi

P'ji"

i' lU;

1 if.

if')

n>n<’ m o n t h s as b e e n sit t ing

.ah row

•ulv, b ro th e r s

■ :O W f ( ' 'S SO II'

. r a i k c t iW h o b l e w u p

2 by Se eund :U n c l e 1 o i n s 1 k d l

Booysens , the cop shop

■ lineh k e u ise a place

near MaHdan1-Ca-ught. .

i iu in a shoot-<>ut cant u red a t Mato la

s t rung ups ide d o w n w i t h o u t days

in nightin it river ot ; * o : K. s

c la m m y hood c h o k e hold

;i y e a i w i t h o u t s e a s o n

m o n t h s v , .ir bo d ie s p rob ed

m o n t h s long until

f i n a l l y y o u w e r e l e d

u n b o w e d i n t o c o u r t

a n d c h a r g e d

a l l t h i e fwi th high t reason

1 hen it \ v o u singin;’ d o ' \ ■\ntiphonnl phrases.1 hfee t on gues floatim? m v r

I'hat audib.U 1 >rop w hi ch gathers, i lu* w ords ctiirurnrning in you r 'i h roa ts , b ro the rs .

A b o u t which So m e W ednesday m o rn in g

r i i ree noos es will go.

( Inc voice leading.■\rnj'iisc v<?. high up.1- ver\ night,

Deeper , tw o in the cho rusPrisoner* from yo u r shonfrsn I ailed and

S o boil or Re spo nd l ike a Kippie like a Lurch like a

l ’kuhiabelel ,)IN t>-

G lo w like ;s Grow! iike ;i

G l o u !ik< .Boil l ike a

He an s tew :Ripple likt a Bus quevK ;

Move likt ■■Sralks lik.

Moves l ike aFighterUkuhlabe le la

Th re e Vv.m- Called or

Mo is*C o m b i n e or i c ■■; .

T so t so h e

Wcavniy'Sha bangu In and

V oi c e , * I'.ach o th e r

A ro u n d "

Into each night':

Finale, ail li're1-

1’hree n o w

As one i'bu . - Int.)rhisbd riu - fli’yoaonitff . t’hi

ho , i

-s.- ■

■ hi m ti fld&vJ :1I\ I 1 \ ( fi<‘ • ‘' i >

s h o u te d / wig •i: ■ ir voii es. b ro the i iMw n these concrete < .. i -r idois o f power .

Collection Number: AG1977

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