2nd

National Consultative Conference

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Call to the peoples of the world

22 June 1985

The Second National Consultative Conference of the ANC, attended by more than 250 delegates, sends warm fraternal greetings to all our supporters, friends and well-wishers throughout the world. Your firm and consistent support for our struggle and movement inspires us to fight for the liberation of our motherland with even greater vigour and determination. We are convinced that acting together with you we shall achieve our most cherished desire – to rid our country and the world of the evil of apartheid, which has already persisted for too long.

We welcomed with acclaim and enthusiasm the numerous messages of goodwill that we received from Heads of State and Foreign Ministers, political parties, trade unions, religious, student, youth and women`s organisations, the peace and solidarity movements and international democratic organisations.

There was a special place in our hearts for the moving message received from Pollsmoor and Robben Island prisons, signed by Nelson Mandela on behalf of our imprisoned leaders.

Together with our members incarcerated in the racist dungeons we express our profound gratitude to the millions throughout the world who support our struggle and movement. Whilst the Pretoria terrorists face the wrath of humanity, the ANC continues to enjoy greater and greater support at home and abroad.

In the factories, mines, schools and townships of South Africa the people have risen. The racist colonialist regime meets the legitimate desires of our people with increasing violence and exports that violence into the countries of Southern Africa. The terrorism comes from the racist regime. To continue to
collaborate with the racists is to assist actively in and be equally responsible for the death and destruction they sow in our country and region.

We accuse those Western countries and their transnational corporations which collaborate actively with the regime of complicity in the commission of the crime of apartheid. The time has come to cease all collaboration and step up the all-round support for the ANC, the vanguard of the oppressed people of South Africa.

The racist regime continues to occupy Namibia illegally. We are confident the people of Namibia, led by our comrades-in-arms of SWAPO, will soon be free from the racist colonial yoke. Whilst claiming to stand for peace and reason the Pretoria murderers continue to commit barbarous acts of aggression against the neighbouring states. The latest cowardly and brutal attacks upon South African refugees and Botswana citizens clearly demonstrate that the racist regime can never be a force for peace. Our region will only become a zone of peace when we have destroyed the source of aggression – the racist colonial system.

We are conscious of our immense responsibility to the peoples of Southern Africa. Our immediate task is to raise the struggle to new and even greater heights. The oppressed and downtrodden have shown by their mass uprisings in different parts of the country that they will spare neither their energies nor their lives in the fight for national liberation.

Apartheid cannot be reformed. It has to be destroyed. To wipe out this crime against humanity requires a sustained and determined campaign on the part of our people and the international community. There must be no ,constructive engagement`, only total opposition to the racist regime and active support and solidarity for our struggle and the ANC. In this year of the 40th anniversary of the defeat of fascism and the founding of the United Nations, we appeal to the international community to honour its pledges and obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of the United Nations and all treaties and conventions calling for the elimination of the crime of apartheid.

  • Intensify the campaign to isolate racist South Africa in the economic, political, diplomatic, military, educational and cultural fields.
  • Impose mandatory sanctions through the UN Security Council.
  • End all nuclear collaboration with apartheid South Africa.
  • Demand the immediate and unconditional release of Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners.
  • Increase diplomatic, financial and material support and develop solidarity with the ANC.
  • Demand the immediate independence of Namibia.
  • Demand that the racist regime stop its aggression against the Front Line States and Lesotho.
  • Give all forms of support to these innocent victims of fascist aggression and expansionism.

Freedom is at Hand!
Now is the Time to Act!
Now is the Time to Bring the Apartheid Regime to its Knees!

Source: Sechaba, August 1985