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End Conscription Campaign Fighting apartheid conscriptioN

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South Africa today is witnessing the emer­gence and growth of a broad based and powerful movement against conscription.

vS +t VWe, fcrcv c.simply: No to the continued miinansa- tion of our society and conscription into the South African Defence Force (SADF). It is calling for a just peace in our country.

What was for years a small movement is fast developing into a growing force. As the

i conflict deepens within South Africa, ever greater numbers of whites, who face con­scription, are declaring their unwillingness to take part in apartheid's defence through participation in the SADF.

Young white men in South Africa are com- ^fed.through the system of conscription, ^Terve in the SADF. For many thousands, this has become an untenable situation. This is because, for them, serving in the

SADF means serving on the side of the sys­tem of apartheid which divides our people and oppresses black South Africans.The SADF throughout its existence has played a direct role in devising, implementing and defending apartheid. This has become especially stark over the last year in which SADF troops have been deployed exten­sively in townships throughout South Africa in order to put down the growing mass movement of oppositon to apartheid.

The current intensified resistance within the country is not the first time that the people of South Africa have united in their resistance. The history of oppression in South Africa is paralleled by a rich history of resistance and opposition. This has par­ticularly been the case since the introduc­tion of apartheid in 1948. Throughout the 1950’s mass organisation such as the Afri­can National Congress gave an organised

form to resistance. Campaign after cam­paign was, however, met with the brutal response of the apartheid state. The police, at this time, were extensiveley used to re­press popular political activity.

It is in the 25 years since 1960 that the SADF has come to play a prominent role in this respect. As resistance to apartheid has intensified, so the government has seen fh to increase the size of the defence force, spend more money on the military, and so­phisticate and expand the level of opera­tions.

In this pamphlet, we explain the extension of conscription and how it has related to mass resistance to apartheid. We show too, the emergence of a broad based movement to end conscription and the campaign which we have conducted.

Resistance and the MilitaryAt present all white males are conscripted to serve in the SADF for an initial period of two years as well as a subsequent 720 days spread out over a 12 year period. Thereafter they are still liable to serve 12 days a year up to the age of 55.

This has, however, not always been the

RESISTANCE TO APARTHEID

case. Conscription has only existed since 1961. The significance of this date can be seen when we look at the table below. You will see that all of the changes in the conscription laws have come about after major developments in the resistance to apartheid, or towards the South African ocuupation of Namibia. The SADF has

’ grown as a force on the side of apartheid just as there has been growth in the move­ment ot ooposition to apartheid.

Before 1961, there was no conscription. The SADF was a small force of some 10 000 volunteers. But things changed after 1960...

1960 - After a decade of growing opposition to apartheid under the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Police kill 61 protestors at Sharpeville leading to nationwide uprisings, a declaration o f a state of emergency, me banning of the ANC and the PAn-Africanist Congress and 20 000 arrests.

CHANGES IN CONSCRIPTION

1961- Conscription is introduced on a ballot basis. No provision is made for conscientious objection, although members of ‘peace churches’ (Jehova’s witnesses, Cristadelphians, Quakers, etc.) are granted non-combatant status.

1961 - The ANC launches an aimed struggle.

1966 • South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) launches armed struggle in Namibia to oust South African occu­piers. This followed the launching of wars of liberation in Angola (1961), Mozambique (1964) and Zimbawe (1966).

1971 - 20 000 Namibian contract workers in unprecedented strike, while at the same time SWAPO intensifies its military activity.

1973 • Strikes in Durban herald a new phase of South African resistance.

1975 - Independence of ex-Portuguese colonies of Mozambique and Angola; South African forces defeated in Angola.

1976 - Nationwide uprisings, as well as upsurge in ANC guerillaactivity.1980 - Widespread student, worker and community uprisings herald the emergence of a broad-based, non-racial movement of resistance.

Since 1982 - Intensification of struggles in South Africa and Namibia, leading to 1985 state of emergancy and widespread repression.

1967 - Universal military conscription is introduced for all white males for a limited period of 9 months. Refusal to serve is met with a three month sentence in military detention barracks, and can be repeated when the conscript is ‘called-up’ again.

1972 • Service extended to 12 months with annual camps of 19 days for 5 years thereafter. Maximum sentence for conscientious objection is set at 15 months, while members o f ‘peace churches’ receive 12 month sentences.

1977 - Conscription doubled to two years, as well as 30 day camps for the following 8 years.

1978 - ‘Peace church’ members objecting to conscription sen­tenced to 36 months, with no future call-up. Other conscientious objectors face 2 year jail term with possibility of future call-up.

1982 - Conscription extended to total of 4 years. New provision for religious pacifists - instead of jail sentence, now have to spen^ up to 6 years working for a government department. Other conscientious objectors face up to 6 years in jail.

Resistance to conscription developed grad­ually to its present situation in which opposition is co-ordinated through theEND CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN. In the first years of conscription many Jehova’s witnesses speirr extended periods in jail on account of their convictions. At the same time there was a steady trickle of objectors leaving South Africa to go into exile.

Following the 1972 change in the law, opposition started to assume an organised form as the South African Council of Churches in 1974 took a strong stand. This

led to a massive outcry, with the govern­ment introducing harsh penalties for any­one encouraging or assisting another person to object to military service.

During the late 1970’s increasing numbers of men left the country rather than enter the SADF. It has been estimated that between 1975 and 1979 5 900 left the country. For many this was a response to the increasing opposition being expressed by the anti-apartheid movement. Many young white men refused to enter what they saw as an arm of the apartheid state, i.e. the SADF. This would place them in a position of direct opposition to the movement of resistance.

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In 1979 and 1980 the first non ‘peace church’ objectors were sentenced to periods in jail. This had the effect of encouraging further opposition to con­scription and to the role of the SADF as an arm of apartheid. It also led to the establishment of a national organisation, the Conscientious Objectors’ Support Group. By 1982 9 men had been sentenced including the first non-religious objector.

Conscription elicited a growing opposition towards it since its inception in 1961. The most coherent and powerful form that this oppsoition has taken came with the estab­lishment of the End Conscription Campaign in 1983.

ECC=A developing movementThe courageous band of conscientious ob­jectors of the late 70’s and earlv 80’s raised to prominence the issue of opposing con­scription. This was confined to individuals, however, and was furthermore extremely limited by the 1983 change in the law which increased the sentence for conscien­tious objectors from a maximum of 2 years to a mandatory 6.

The first more generalised opposition to the m ilita ry came from the Black Sash, a national organisation of white women opposed to apartheid, which, at its 1983 conference, called for an end to conscrip­tion. Subsequently in July that year.

the 4th annual COSG conference, a deci­sion was taken to launch the End Conscrip­tion Campaign.

Many organisations responded to this decision and came together to establish End Conscription Committees in Jahannes- burg, Cape Town and Durban by the end of the year. The first national ECC meeting took place at Wilgespruit near Johannes­burg in July 1984. It was decided to draw up the ECC Declaration calling for a just peace in South Africa. The Declaration was endorsed by many organisations and indi­viduals over the next few months. In Oc­tober and November the declaration was

launched in Cape Town, Durban and Jo­hannesburg with extensive support for the campaign and widespread publicity of the Declaration endorsers.

The ECC had its first national conference in January 1985 where its constitution was drafted and a national organiser appointed. Here the idea to convene a national festi­val for peace was raised. Over the next months, amidst frantic planning for the fes­tival, ECC‘s were established in Port Eliz­abeth and Pietermaritzburg. Six End Con­scription Committees (Johannesburg, Port elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg, Cape Town, Durban, Grahamstown) in which over 50

organisations have participated nationally have been set up in less than two years.

The ECC has come to represent a very broad-based movement of opposition to conscription amongst white South Afri­cans. Organisations representing churches, women’s, students’ and broader political constituencies are present in the front. All are united in a common goal of ending conscription.

The rapid growth of the ECC has occurred with organisations uniting around a number of areas of opposition to conscrip­tion. These have been expressed as follows:

1) Conscription intensifies the violent con­flict in South Africa. This is engendered by a political system which denies most South Aincans basic human nghts.

2) Conscription prolongs the war in Na- ia. Forcing young men to fight in

Namibia inhibits the implementation of United Nation’s Resolution 435 and the demand of many church and human rights groups is that SA troops withdraw from Namibia to allow UN supervised elections to take place.

3) Conscription is a conerstone in the militarisation of South Africa. Conscrip­tion conditions society to accept the intru­sion of the military into schools, town­ships and the highest levels of political decision making, and the SADF’s ongoing destabilization of Southern African states.

4) Conscription violates the right of the indiviual to refuse in conscience to render military service and be granted instead a non-military alternative.

^5) Conscription forces South African ryouth to work hand in hand with the

South African Police in the implemen­tation of oppressive apartheid laws.

6) Conscription is antithetical to the concept of a just peace in our land, a just peace thatcan only be realised in a non- racial, democratic South Africa.

ECC’s call for a just peace has become especially pertinent during 1985. It has been a year which has ushered in a period of escalating civil war. The growing move­ment of protest and resistance to apartheid within South Africa’s black townships has led to the deployment of SADF troops in these areas. (See box) The presence of trooos. largely made up of conscripts, has led to further widespread resistance. Within the white community resistance to being deployed in the townships against fellow South Africans has grown.

It is against this background that the ECC has grown by leaps and bounds during this past year. Two major campaigns have con­tributed to this.

SACC General Secretary, Dr Beyer* Naude addresses the ECC Peace Festival.

In Julv ECC held its first national peace Festival in Johannesburg. At this gathering, attended by some 3 000 delegates, a strong call was made for a just peace. Through holding the festival, ECC extended ties wnn a host of organisations and move­ments abroad who are concerned with just­ice. and peace. It marked a point of consoli­

dation in the growth of the ECC with national co-operation occurring and the inclusion of a broad range of sectors being acheived. Notable speakers at the Festival included Nobel Peace Laureate, Bishop Desmaond Tutu, South African Concil Of Churches Secretary, Dr. Beyers Naude, as well as a representative of the European peace movement, Carole Tongue.

But the campaign which placed ECC firmly on the map came after the Peace Festival. In September a national focus on the presence of troops in South Africa’s townships took place. Hinged around the demands of “Troops out of the Town­ships” and a “Just Peace” , a wide range of activities took place, and hundreds of thousands of items of media were distrib­uted.

The central thrust of the “troops out” campaign took the form of two to three week fasts for peace. In these jl group of individuals fasted for up to three weeks in in an act of solidarity with township residents as well as in protest against the presence of troops in the townships. The aspect of solidarity 'in the "fast was of

particular significance Because it was an act of non-racialism: white fasters separated from their fellow South Africans by the laws of apartheid, demonstrating to blacks

that not all whites are on apartheid’s side in our struggle. The aspect of protest, too, generated extensive support.

The “troops out” campaign was a success- full example too of the ECC reaching out to oitterent constituencies in the white community. Churches, women, students jvere all touched in different ways by the campaign.

In the short period of its existence the ECC has clearly grown. It has touched an area of great sensitivity and unease in the white community. It has rallied the support of many thousands of whites away from the the side of apartheid and on to the side of justice and peace. This growth has, however, meant harrasment from the au­thorities.

As well as the detention of leading campaign members prior to the “troops out” campaign, there has been a concerted media campaign by the government and SADF against our work. Fallacious and libellous accusations nave termed the ha<Hc of these attacks. The ECC is taking legal action in response to one of these, utner forms of harraanent nave included the banning of our publications, as well as raids on th* homes of members.

The ECC is set to embark, on furthei creative campaigns. Despite harrasment there is a strong sense of purpose and determination amongst our members. A central tenet of our work remains the hope for, and building of, a just peace in our land. It is in this spirit that the campaign to End Conscription is being taken forward.

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Since October 1984, So African troops may carry out any action, as long asthey members of the media, especially cameras,have been deployed in dozens of townships ck im ittab e in good faith.The situation ifc We coma upoa a bakJrieloaded with; chitaround the country in an attempt to put suck: that ‘good faith.1 has fed to* much dran and.yootfa»wiK> show us the clencheddownthe growing opposition to apartheid, wanton violence against black South'Afri- fist salute. The- cops, go into action:: theThis protest has grown especially since the cans. Thera are- many stories, o£ random haidae iS 0veTtakea andf0rced: t0 3t0p.the

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M udiof the oppoatjoa enwige^ attirstn i “W t entered, one of tne sprawling ro rt continue to slap and punch imn while heresponse to increase* in rents, introduced; Elizabeth townships and began ourrun, as; recites the Httany: “I know nothing, baas’*.by local governments. sympathetic, to th e in a bad dream, throuah the m asaaC Th* pneumatic steeidootsshHt,the vehicle

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ances around their inferior education. and dirt around, but they kept their litter “He won’t show a black power sign again1 — In October • o a t o f the vehicle a t pedestrians minding image- o f this time: the small black boy townships with a. vengeance. Rather than their own business. The’ streets are full with wild frightened eyes (but no tears) bringing peace* their presence has incited o f activity; there is a funeral o f one o f the slgppmg hknself, and the sudden stream of further, conflict In July 198$ * State o f persons shot by the policy, and vehicles bright* bright Wood appearing from his

____ Africa. This gave government:curity forces the right to act against anti* and danched fists with shouts o f abuse and drip-. Slap,slap, slap,apartheid campaigners with impunity. In o f “white power'. We move on to a less»«rma of the state, o f emergency, troops crowded area. The cops keep m watch, for

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Collection Number: AG1977

END CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN (ECC)

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