Black consciousness movement could see revival in SA

The George Floyd killing in the US could give incentive to ongoing moves to revive the almost moribund black consciousness (BC) movement in South Africa as former liberation activists unite beyond party lines to fight racism and white domination.

The BC concept lost its spark after the death of Steve Biko, who led the movement in the ’70s.

Former BC activist Saths Cooper, president of the Azanian Peoples Organisation (Azapo) from 1985 to 1986, said they shared the same objectives with the US civil rights movement: to fight white domination and oppression based on their skin colour.

This was despite the fact that, initially, there was no direct contact between Biko’s Black Peoples Convention and the SA Students Organisation (Saso) and the US civil rights movement. Following Biko’s death, the American civil rights movement solidarity with the black South African cause increased.

There was more direct contact among black leaders, including Stokely Carmichael, who met Azapo leaders when he was in exile in Guinea. Andrew Young, former US ambassador to the UN, attended Biko’s funeral in King William’s Town in September 1977, and he increased pressure for an end to apartheid on the UN platforms.

Increased solidarity for the black struggle in the late ’70s and early ’80s saw Biko become an icon of many civil rights activists in the US. Biko is still recognised as the second most popular SA leader after Nelson Mandela.

However, the formation of Azapo to replace the banned BC organisations did not help to restore the BC influence to the level it was under Biko. It was further sidelined with the establishment of the ANC-aligned United Democratic Front (UDF), which dominated the political scene from the ’80s.

The rivalry between the UDF and Azapo was characterised by violent attacks and counter-attacks. After winning a few seats in the 1994 democratic elections, it suffered severe electoral losses in subsequent polls, dropping its parliamentary representation to zero.

This was blamed on voter disenchantment by the never-ending party infighting. With the establishment in April last year of The 70s Group, consisting of a generation of leaders from liberation movements, there is new hope of revival of black consciousness.

The 70s Group has registered its outrage at the unabating acts of racism and systemic violence against African-Americans in the United States. They expressed deep concern about the brutal murder in broad daylight of Floyd, who died after a white policeman pinned him down with a knee on his neck.

The group appreciated the support given to SA’s liberation struggle by the African Diaspora, including African-Americans; the condemnation by the African Union and African governments of Floyd’s murder; and the global protests against racism.

“An injury to one black person anywhere, based on racism, is an injury to black people everywhere in the world,” said the group’s chair Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva.

Cooper said The 70s Group may appear to be BC-dominated, but was non-partisan. This was proven when the organisation was inaugurated by former president Kgalema Motlanthe of the ANC, with Prof Barney Pityana as a keynote speaker.

Pityana took over from Biko as Saso president.

“The group is for anybody who subscribes to the principle of anti-racism and non-sexism but partisan in his or her politics. In this group, we don’t push any party political line. This group shares ideas on issues that affect our people,” Cooper said.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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