Africa.
schools expenditure on pupils. School students Consciousness every racist institution, moment becuuse they pupils who We all remember Sowelo in demonstrations, attacks on government buildings, a schools boycott and two general strikes, all within a few months. But, as JOHN HUNT explains. Soweto has fought on, and its continuing struggle holds important lessons for revolutionary strategy in South Blacks must pay school fees while white oducation is free the pupil-teacher ratio in black resign. schools is 60:l, in white 20:1; government each white pupil is 17 times that on black the first section of the Soweto population to adopt on a large scale the ideas of the Black movement, the South African Stodents Movement, which were hased on Lie rejection of Then boards STUDENT ACTION These were expressed in a fort that was neither socialist nor even particularly colerent, but they met the needs of the challenged the institutions through which the regime controlled the Soweto working class.
1977 began quietly: The mutine we schools went back. been saying that they would give the Government six months lo policies. Then in April tbe West Rand Bantu agreed Administration, che govern ment body responsible fo Someto, decreed a heavy rent ibcrease. In a township 15 million live in only 100,000 houses and 12 government an explasive The saweis demon strated, rioting erupted and the Governmen: backed down.
In June the students turned their attention to the Urban Bantu Council, a puppet city council full of goveroment stooges and without powers.
The Soweto Student Repre sentative Council summoned UBC to a meeting. The UBC failed to arrive at the appointed time, whereupon large numbers of atudents went 1976: mASS to visit' the UBC mayor, UBC members rapidly began to next đay Sechaba Monticsi, the SSRC president, called on the people of Soweto to form their own representative body. The students had recognised the need for a permanent political expression to be given to the mass struggle which drew in the whole Soweto. A commitlee of 10 composed of leading cubicante was formed to investigate putting this into practice.
La campaign was launched against the school bodies of black parents who participated in the running of the Banta EducatMass action smashed the boards in weeks. The SSRC called for a period of mourning fiom 16 June, the the shootings. In effect this was a call for a general strike.
The sucoess of the students in winning other sections o society to the contmon struggle against apartheid was shown by the fact thar football clubs beer hall owners, and the traders' associacion readily to shut down for tha period. Oothe 16th, 40 per cent of Soweto's workers stayed at home. There followed several weeks of mass demonstrations accacks on state buildings, and shootings by the police GOVERNMENT In August Trofomo Sone the new SSRC president since Montitsi had been detained, mapped out an alternative programme for education.
rejecting every facet of th Bantu Education system. I demands included an equal per capila expenditure, more facilities and an end to control by the racist state.
Dr Motlana, who had emerged as the leader of the Councine, or foese programme for CLAC government of Sowero and demanded goverument achoo on bousing. These were Dol demands tor roe terorm o apartbeid; they were important CELETPLA mobilise the 980054 their alternatives to racist insti TUTIONS.
Soweto's mass circulation paper, The Warld. carried foods of letters discussing what sort of future South African society should have September a massive boycott by pupils wils underway. 700 teachers resigned in sympatby, Mass meetings of pupils, teachers and parents ducation seriout ap ate discussed setting control.
SOLIDARITY In the lace of this dass movement and the rising aight at the death of Steve Biko, the state responded on 19 Ocloher bannine The World, the Black Cobsciousness organisations and the SSRC, and arresting all the could Jay its hands on.
1977 showed that cver Vorster's repression cannot sop mass action - the school boycott still continues. And it shows that a revolutionary strategy in South Africa mus be based on the political mobilisation of the urban WOrKLe CLASS. not, ax sotte would have it on abstract schemas of guerilla warfare.
The solidarity movement in Britain has unfulfilled respon sibilities to educate the Heirish working class about events in Soweto. In the March trade ution week of action on South Atrica education workers and students in particular take up the fight for solidarity with Soweto, and especially the continuing struggles in its schools, -Thanks do CIS, 9 Polane Street, London, for the use of their archives.