In this particular era the repre sentatives of the big liberal bour Progressive Party of Oppenheimer and Suzman came in. So did the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS), a white liberal But, with the deepening of the oppression, the people had to develop their own organisations to fight back. It was in these circumstances that the black power is extremely significant move in the opened It is not just that it touched are associated with the oppression of the people, but for the first time in the history of the country you found a number of organisations which broke the bars black groups in the country: the Afri- in the oppressed people. cans, the so-callea colourcas and Another They accepted anyboay who belonged to these three were never before.
Now this is a great achievement uroan movement.
have tried to bridge the gap bet ween the three groups but have made very serious mistakes maintaining racial structures with factor is that this movement has touched layers who South Africa. significantly touched That is, it touched BOsulaLO! and This interview is with a South African Trotskyist who has been active in the black liberation struggle since the early 1950s. It was given to Intercontinental Press correspondent Jim Atkinson in Lusaka, Zambia, in April.
A full version will appear in the forthcoming issue of Africa in Struggle [No. 5]. Here, for reasons of space, we print only those sections dealing with the nature of the new opposition groups and the need for a revolutionary Marxist party. We believe that such a debate must be across the spectrum of the South African the mass movement has never beer found in South Africa before. It is therelore very signiticant and rev. olutionaries can work in the movement. educate its cadres and Joir up with them to upturn the whole social and economic structure ol • What is the significance of the slogan of 'black power"? the black people in South Africa are oppressed and exploited. Not are they the most exploited people in the country but their exploitation has put them in a crucial position on the revolution ary process. So, if one talks of real revolution, it is esential that this section is activated first and fore most. Ine oiner group, the white workers, will only be able to move