The Black Consciousness Movement

AZAPO AND BCMA HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.

BACKGROUND

Our Black forebears lived in this lower end of Africa for thousands of years. They reared cattle and small-stock, and raised various types of crops. Many of them produced clay and wooden crafts. More than 1 200 years ago they began to mine and smelt iron, copper and other minerals which they used to make work implements. The various communities spoke different languages yet had trade and inter-marriage amongst themselves. Sometimes, as the numbers grew and they needed more land, they would fight or negotiate, as other communities did all over the world.

Like the legendary phoenix, AZAPO emerged from the ashes and cinders of the Black People’s Convention (B.P.C.), South African Students’ Organisation (SASO) and Black Community Programmes (B.C.P.) - some of the black consciousness organisations that were banned on Wednesday, 19th October 1977 for their role in the resistance and the June 16, 1976 uprisings.

AZAPO successfully campaigned for the isolation of apartheid South Africa by tirelessly and vigorously waging the cultural boycott in the country.

Under the guidance of AZAPO, Black people increasingly regained their resolve to fight for their rights and formed trade unions and civic organisations that drew the blue print for the conduct of struggles by civil society.

Through AZAPO, Black people in this country regained their collective dignity and self-pride. We in AZAPO believe that people that take pride in themselves are likely to make a meaningful contribution to a quest for true humanity.

To this day, AZAPO remains the leading exponent of the black consciousness in this country and draws inspiration from such eminent sons and daughters of this soil such as Steve Biko, Onkgopotse Tiro and Vuyelwa Mashalaba. At its historic Constitutional Congress in December 1994, AZAPO resolved to participate in the forthcoming General Elections.

In October 1994, AZAPO merged with its sister exile organisation, the Black Consciousness Movement of Azania (B.C.M.A.).

OCCUPATION AND RESISTANCE

Whites started coming here from Europe about 500 years ago. They sometimes traded with Black people. Other, whose ships sank, were found and looked after by local communities. Later, as they arrived in large numbers, they began to cheat and fight our forebears. They took our land by force pushing our ancestors into poorer areas and making them slaves. They also brought slaves from Java, Malaya and India.

Although our ancestors fought the settlers bravely, they were defeated by superior weapons. But Azania, the land of Black people, is still ours and that is why we will reclaim it by force.

THE ECONOMY

Azania is very rich, with large deposits of various minerals, a lot of good land on which grain, fruit, vegetables, cotton and other crops are grown. Its oceans have large stocks of fish. The labour force has a number of skills and transport is fairly good.

THE STRUGGLE NOW

We have learnt from the tradition of our forebears and continue to strive for the control of our land and its wealth. From about 1910, people such as Sol Plaatjie and later, Clement Kadalie have been rallying Black people to unite and fight for their rights. Many national organisations have been formed to advance the struggle. In the 1940's Black mine workers fought for safe working conditions and better pay. There were brave struggles against discrimination and farm labour abuse in the 1950's, and against pass laws and repression in the early 1960's. Large numbers of people were killed or imprisoned in those campaigns.

THE RISE OF THE BCM

After these frightening attacks, our people were quiet for some years until the youth spearheaded the renewal of the struggle in 1968. The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) which arose then, called on the Black people to unite because they are all oppressed, exploited and discriminated against, wether they are called Bantu, Coloured or Indian by the regime of the white settler colonialists. The militants of the BCM such as Steve Biko, Mapetla Mohapi and Mthuli ka Shezi urged Black people to accept their identity, to unite in the struggle and not fear the whites nor to imitate them, and especially not to accept being told by them how to fight our Liberation Struggle.

Those who oppress us and get rich from our labour will not liberate us. It was our youth who staged the Viva FRELIMO rallies in 1974! It was our children who fought with stones against armoured cars during the June 16, 1976 Uprisings! We are our own Liberators! Power is ours if we unite against our common oppression.

The Black fist on our publications and garments stands for unity of Black people. The red star stands for our hope that Black workers, whose blood has been spilled for our liberty, will lead the struggle, and will rule a free socialist Azania. The gold is for the wealth of our country.

THE BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT PROGRAMME

When we say we stand for socialism we mean a take-over of political power by the working class and the control of the main sections of the economy such as mines, banks, large factories and big farms, without any payment to those who developed their wealth through exploiting Black workers. The profits of these will be used to provide free education and medical care for all the people. When the working class controls state power and runs the economy, it will not exploit anyone else, since it will be working for itself.