Hundreds of African school students have been arrested; and, on 15-16 August, police seized 50 African leaders in a series of nationwide swoops. Among those • detained (under the notonous internal Security Act, which allows detention without charge trial) was Winnie Mandela, wife of Nelson Mandela, the leader of the banned African National Congress (ANC).
While the African masses step up their fight for liberation throughout southern Africa, the major imperialist powers are redoubling their efforts to defend their vast economic and strategic interests in the region.
The NATO powers see South Africa as a vital part of the world imperialist system. Much of the world's trade (including 7 million barrels of Middle East oil a day, half of western Europe's oil consumption) is shipped past the Cape of Good Hope. Furthermore, South Africa has some of the largest naval bases bordering on the Indian Ocean.