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The Herald, 21 June, 1982
THE leaders of the six frontline states have called on the ANC and SWAPO to intensify the armed struggle against the South African government, the president of the ANC, Mr Oliver Tambo, said yesterday.
Mr Tambo vowed that his movement was about to use its armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe, to engage South African forces on the ground.
He said in an interview that the ANC realised that sabotage attacks alone would not bring South Africa to its knees.
“We are moving from sabotage acts to attack the enemy face-to-face,” he said.
Mr Tambo has held talks with the Prime Minister, Mr Mugabe, and Government officials on the liberation struggle in South Africa since his arrival on Friday.
This morning Mr Tambo ends his tour, which took him to Maputo, Dar es Salaam, Luanda, Gaborone and Harare as a follow-up to the frontline summit held in Mozambique in March.
“That meeting in Maputo in March was a historic one because of the decision it took calling upon SWAPO and the ANC to step up the armed struggle,” he said.
“Such a decision, taken during the year of the 70th anniversary of the ANC is of great significance. It is the resolve of the ANC and the oppressed masses of South Africa to ensure that the frontline decision will be implemented by us,” Mr Tambo said.
The aim of his tour was to maintain contact with the leaders of the region and to brief them on the latest developments “in the South African arena of struggle.
“There is a recognition throughout the world, and most certainly in Southern Africa, that we shall not know peace in this area until South Africa has been taken over by the majority of the people,” he said. Mr Tambo’s next mission is in Nairobi, where he will brief the current chairman of the Organisation of African Unity, President Moi, of Kenya.
Mr Tambo said there was mutual support between the Namibian and South African people, between SWAPO and the ANC.
“The intensification of our struggle in South Africa serves as a reinforcement of the liberation forces in Namibia.”
LESSONS FOR TODAY
The African National Congress (ANC) and SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organisation) are liberation movements that fought against apartheid in South Africa and Namibia, respectively.
The ANC has been led by luminaries like Chief Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela. It engaged in various forms of resistance, including mass action, civil disobedience, and armed struggle through its military wing, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK). The ANC’s efforts, along with regional and international pressure and sanctions, ultimately led to negotiations that ended apartheid in South Africa.
The ANC’s commitment to the struggle of the Palestinian people as they fight for statehood has been very consistent. As of June 2024, the State of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign state by 144 of the 193 member states of the United Nations.
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