“I Saw a Nightmare…”
Doing Violence to Memory: The Soweto Uprising, June 16, 1976
by Helena Pohlandt-McCormick
Flyers of the ANC Distributed after June 16, 1976
PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA—THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS CALLS ON YOU. AMANDLA SOWETO!
BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Vorster and his assassins have learnt nothing since Sharpeville. Once again he has called out his murderers to shoot down in cold blood innocent people in the name of preserving Ôlaw and order.' Once again the racists have blamed agitators, inciters, communists and black power militants for the disturbances instead of their hated Apartheid system. They will never admit that it is their system of racial oppression that has aroused the collective fury of our people, for to do so they would have to admit that it has been a complete failure. They have shown us again that they are not prepared to listen to our grievances and would rather shoot anyone who dares to stand up to register them. The massacre of our people must end. We have had enough!
THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS calls on our people in every walk of life—in the factories, townships, mines, schools, farms, to embark on massive protests, actions and demonstrations against white supremacy, against the murder of our children, against Bantu Education, Bantustans, the pass laws and all the hated policies of Apartheid. NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!!
SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF AFRICA: stand together firm and united and show the oppressor that we will not be intimidated. We have the strength to hit back. Our organised strength, unity and militant actions will give us more power than Vorster and all his guns. Rally to the call of the ANC—the tried and trusted organisation of all our people that Vorster and his police can never crush! United in this task we will smash the brute force of the oppressor!
5DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE BRUTAL MURDER OF OUR CHILDREN, OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SOWETO AND OTHER TOWNSHIPS. DEMONSTRATE YOUR RESOLUTE OPPOSITION TO THE APARTHEID STATE, TO RACIAL OPPRESSION AND THE MASSACRE OF OUR PEOPLE.
VORSTER YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED! IZAKUNYATHELI AFRIKA!(1)
AMANDLA SOWETO!! FORWARD TO THE LIBERATION OF OUR SOUTH AFRICA! AMANDLA NGAWETHU! MAATLA KE ARONA! AFRIKA MAYIBUYE! FORWARD TO PEOPLES POWER!!
1 Africa will trample you!
Source: African National Congress Documents: www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history (Historical Documents, Major Campaigns and Struggles—III, Underground Documents[accessed 6 September 2004]).
THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES! VICTORY IS CERTAIN!
People of South Africa—Sons and Daughters of the soil—the AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS and its military wing UMKHONTO WE SIZWE has declared:
"WE SHALL AVENGE THE BRUTAL MURDER OF OUR INNOCENT CHILDREN. WE SHALL AVENGE THE RUTHLESS KILLING AND MAIMING OF OUR PEOPLE WHO HAVE RISEN IN HEROIC PROTEST AGAINST THE APARTHEID MONSTER!"
The terror that Vorster let loose in the Black townships has failed to crush the spirit of our people. Our unity and determination to struggle is greater than ever before. Africans, Coloureds and Indians, young and old, workers and parents, pupils and teachers, have stood firm against the police atrocities, and in the heroic months since June have raised the struggle to new heights.
Vorster and his cohorts must know: We shall defy their murder squads with greater determination; we shall continue to build the unity of all the Black people and reject with contempt efforts to divide us through useless concessions, dummy bodies and Bantustan frauds; we shall organise better, in secret to outwit enemy spies and informers; we shall co-ordinate our struggle in all corners of South Africa; develop our mass actions, demonstrations and strikes which mobilise our people and disrupt the economy; we shall harass the enemy, his police, soldiers, officials and spies wherever we can. Above all, we shall arm ourselves with modern weapons and hit back through our organised fighting force UMKHONTO WE SIZWE!
15UMKHONTO WE SIZWE—PEOPLE'S ARMY OF LIBERATION
These racist murderers who slaughter unarmed children and women, fled in panic when they came face to face with the armed freedom fighters of UMKHONTO in Zimbabwe in 1967 and 1968. Their racist arrogance shrank when our MPLA comrades thrashed them in Angola. And now the time is coming when UMKHONTO will punish the racists on our own soil. The mass struggle of our people helps to bring that day nearer. Already Vorster is trembling because last October bombs destroyed the Jabulani police station, the Mzimhlope railway line and the Tzaneen to Pietersburg railway. He knows that armed freedom struggles start in small ways as happened in Angola, Mozambique and Vietnam. The freedom fighters organise the people in the towns and countryside; the mass struggle grows side by side with the armed struggle. In this way we build a PEOPLE'S POWER that will punish the oppressor for his crimes and establish freedom and justice over every inch of our beloved South Africa!
Source: African National Congress Documents: www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history (Historical Documents, Major Campaigns and Struggles—III, Underground Documents[accessed 6 September 2004]).
DECEMBER 16TH IS A HISTORIC DAY IN THE FREEDOM STRUGGLE!
The national liberation movement, under the leadership of the ANC, formed UMKHONTO WE SIZWE in 1961 when it became clear that only through armed struggle—no matter how long and bloody—could freedom be won. UMKHONTO provides our people with the skills of modern warfare. The bomb blasts and sabotage actions that rocked South Africa in the early 1960s are being heard again. Now the conditions and opportunities for our struggle have become more favourable. The oppressor will be met bullet for bullet here in South Africa. Our youth—African, Indian and Coloured—must join UMKHONTO in even bigger numbers and train to become skilled freedom fighters. Remember: to succeed in struggle it is essential to be disciplined, organised and correctly identify the enemy. You must be part of an organisation, part of a revolutionary movement—the ANC with its allies and military wing UMKHONTO WE SIZWE will lead our people to victory!
COUNTRYMEN AND COMRADES: You have shown your courage and contempt for death. With such fighting spirit and unity our final victory is assured. Let us continue to convert our anger into revolutionary action. Let us harass the enemy on every front.
20On this December 16th—HEROES DAY—the ANC dips its revolutionary banner in memory of all those who have fallen in battle. To all the parents we say "Be proud for giving birth to such heroic children. They have not died in vain and we will continue the battle until victory is won."
To all of you we say: Forward brave fighters! Forward brothers and sisters! Maintain your revolutionary unity and fighting spirit. Together we will raise the struggle to more glorious heights. The blood of our people has made us stronger and more determined.
AMANDLA NGAWETHU! THE STUGGLE CONTINUES! VICTORY IS CERTAIN!
Source: African National Congress Documents: www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history (Historical Documents, Major Campaigns and Struggles—III, Underground Documents[accessed 6 September 2004]).