Listening to the silent majority

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I asked Tom Boya, President of umsa, why he had said at a press conference, on January 5, 1989, to consider the year 1989⁸ ‘The Year of Negotiation’.

‘First of all,’ said Tom, ‘we would want to see PW Botha retire gracefully. He has done his part. He has been the first Afrikaner nationlist who has been so bold as to stand up and announce that apartheid had to go. He was the first, let's admit that. He has also been the first Afrikaner who has changed the Constitution, in order to include people

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of another colour, which in those days nearly cost him his premiership. A number of nationalists left the np in protest, and are now in opposition. However, PW Botha did not carry out the total aspirations of the people of South Africa, because he still excluded blacks. This was a grave mistake. He should have taken the chance and have included blacks at that particular time, because there would have been a better acceptance of the system.’

‘Today,’ said Tom, ‘the struggle is shifting into a different direction. At that time, blacks would have still been willing to accept half a loaf. Today, blacks really want a full loaf. At that time, a quadruple parliamentarian system, a table with four legs could still have been accepted. But today, we do not want anything short of one man one vote. This is where the struggle in 1989 is at. In order to negotiate now for a compromise is going to be a very, very difficult matter. But, if the government can again move during this year, we at umsa are actually saying the same thing, as when Mr FW de Klerk became the np leader and declared that we must now hold a Great Indaba - in short negotiations. Therefore, yes this is the year of seeking a compromise, or of negotiating peace between blacks and whites in this country.’

Boya continued, ‘When Margaret Thatcher was recently here in Southern Africa she also referred to negotiations. umsa's position is the same. It is now up to the government to grab this opportunity and to run with it. The key to the struggle of liberation i.e. not outside South Africa, nor in the anc, the udf, azapo or Inkatha. The key lies with the South African government. It should open its arms genuinely and say ‘Gentlemen, let's sit around the table of brotherhood and negotiate.’

‘The government must show its bona fides,’ said Tom Boya. ‘The only way to prove their intentions is by releasing political prisoners and detainees, including Nelson Mandela. And, not piecemeal. All of them. We know what will happen. Political refugees will come home. Our compatriots in exile would like to return, but they have to know what they are going to find and that they are going to be accepted. This whole issue of a National Statutory Council is a non-starter. If the government is to negotiate with town councillors, who were elected by the people on a different mandate, it will lead to nothing, absolutely nothing.’

Again, I introduced the idea of an all-black referendum, to enable blacks to express themselves about whom they want to represent them at the Great Indaba. Boya ‘That is the solution. A referendum right

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now for the black people in this country, to choose whom they want to be their leaders in the forthcoming Great Indaba. Then we will see what happens. At this moment in our history a national black referendum would be a much-needed breakthrough. Because we now find that the entire reform process has come to a standstill. Nothing substantial is happening.’

I asked whether the government problems were not truly herculean in this labyrinth of rightwing and ultra-right opposition among whites opposed to reform at any price. ‘Oh yes,’ he said, ‘we must acknowledge what has happened in favour of the government. Good things happened with the scrapping of the Mixed Marriages Act, and the scrapping of the Pass Laws. Those measures were very positive. Then followed the scrapping of Influx Control and the Immorality Act. But they were a case of too little, too late. We cannot but conclude from the present system, that the South African government is basically reactionary. They constantly react to situations. They wait for something to happen, before they move. And, after something has happened, they react very slowly as well. Instead of being bold enough to make the necessary statements on policy, they stay mum most of the time and seem unable to act with speed and imagination.’

‘Let me make a final observation,’ said Tom. ‘The Conservative Party won a number of seats during the municipal elections. Boksburg became an excellent example of what had happened. After the cp got in at Boksburg with a majority of council seats, they went to find an old statutory book. They dusted it and discovered on a certain page an ordinance they quickly applied. This antiquated measure became an actual reality in 1989. Actually, it was a good thing it happened, since at least we knew exactly where we stood. “Non-European Toilet” signs went back up.’

I said, ‘I particularly liked the white Boksburg jeweller, who unveiled a time piece called “The cp Clock”, and it ran backwards.’ ‘Maybe,’ Tom replied, ‘but what all this nonsense amounted to was, that it clearly demonstrated to us how whites had been misusing their votes. That is very important to note.’ Tom, and other members of umsa went on December 2, 1988 to Boksburg to demonstrate. ‘At the present moment,’ Boya told me, ‘I am facing charges on the basis of the Internal Security Act for having urinated in an all-white toilet at the time. The charge is presently being investigated. I was charged on the basis of sec-

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tion 46 of the Internal Security Act Number 74 of 1982 for having demonstrated in Boksburg without official permission of the local magistrate and having addressed an illegal gathering. We went there, of course, out of solidarity with the black people of Boksburg. There were 40 journalists from all over the world to cover the event. My urinating in a white toilet was even duly reported in the Irish Times. Now, the Attorney-General will have to decide whether I will be brought to trial or not. It would please me no end, if I were prosecuted because the whole mad episode will come out into the open, and show what this country still is like. If the government of South Africa is serious about reform, it must call the first shots. All we are asking for is to call for a Great Indaba after they scrap all the remaining discriminatory Laws and Regulations. The government would then be surprised to see how many black people will come and say, “We agree to talk. We are ready to negotiate. We will lay down our arms. We are prepared for a peaceful transition in South Africa, that will be free of race, will be free of prejudice and that will be a South Africa for everybody”.’