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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MARCH 29, 1985
those in the "black consciousness" movement, which includes the
Azanian People's Organization and its affiliates in the National
Forum. There are further differences with the Zulus' Inkatha,
which both black consciousness and progressive democrat groups
believe cooperates far too closely with the government on many
questions.
Finally, there are differences among all these
groups, on the one hand, and officials of the black townships,
who often have been elected by only 8% or 10% of the voters, and
the leaders of the tribal homelands, who are largely reviled in
their own community as traitors for collaborating with the re
gime.
The conflict between progressive democrats and black conscious
ness, hewever, is the most important•••• Progressive democrats•.•
believe that whites have an important role both now and in the
future•••• Those in black consciousness groups, however, oppose
white participation in the anti-apartheid struggle•••and insist
that blacks must repossess the land as the basis for a future po
litical and economic system in a country they call Azania••••
For AZAPO (Azanian People's Organization), the problem is white
people, and the solution is black people••••
In addition to the dispute over the role of whites in South Af
rica now and in the future, there are major differences over
whether the country should remain capitalist or become socialist.
The Azanian People's Organization, which describes apartheid as
"racist capitalism," is "unashamedly socialist," as one AZAPO of
ficial put it.
The United Democratic Front believes, however,
that this question should be left to the future•.••
It should be obvious to all--except committed Western liberals and civil
rights activists--that any sudden relaxation and transformation of power in
South Africa would surely lead to almost unspeakable chaos.
Early this
week I had occasion to talk to South Africa's Consul General in Los Angeles,
Mr. Leslie Labuschagne. Everyone talks about "rights" these days, he told
me, but no one seems to be much interested in responsibilities. True. The
media gives the impression that anything is permissible in the pursuit of
"freedom," even the wild ravings of a mob-acracy.
--Gene H. Hogberg, News Bureau
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